Malacostraca | 
Decapoda | 
Palaemonidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; brackish; depth range 0 - 15 m (Ref. 97531).  Tropical			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Western Atlantic:  USA and Canada.  The Arctic.  Tropical to polar climates of northern hemisphere.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Often found near underwater structures and dense stands of aquatic macrophytes in shallow areas of estuaries.  During the spawning season, the female molts and becomes receptive to the male.  Copulation  occurs within 7 hours after molting.  Ova are externally fertilized on the ventral surface of the female abdomen.   Fecundity is between 247 to 486 eggs per female.  Eggs hatch 12 to 60 days after fertilization.  After spawning, the female molts again.    Larvae are planktonic and feed on zooplankton, algae, and detritus.   Movement and distributional patterns likely influenced by both photoperiod and tidal cycles.   Mainly detritivorous; also feeds on epiphytic microalgae and prey on meiofauna and small infaunal polychaetes, oligochaetes, nematodes, epiphytic fauna, and mysids.  Preyed upon by various estuarine fishes and other aquatic carnivores.  Host to numerous species of parasites and ectocommensals, primarily coccidia, microsporidians, trematodes, isopods, and leeches (Ref. 96311).  Also on seagrasses and submerged vegetation (Ref. 97531).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Members of the order Decapoda are mostly gonochoric.  Mating behavior:  Precopulatory courtship ritual is common (through olfactory and tactile cues); usually indirect sperm transfer.  				
			
			
			
			
			
				Williams, A.B., L.G. Abele, D.L. Felder, H.H. Hobbs Jr., R.B. Manning, P.A. McLaughlin and I. Pérez Farfante 1988 Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: decapod crustaceans. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 17. 77 pp. + 12 figs. (Ref. 2214)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
							
			
			
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					 Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance   Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
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				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models