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This species is known as the Slope Ghost Shrimp. This group of shrimps are known by various common names, including ghost shrimps, burrowing shrimps, mud prawns, crawfish (Virginia Tech 1996). "Although ghost shrimp are harvested as bait along the entire west coast of the United States, they are considered by some to be important pests of commercial oyster-growing operations in the Pacific Northwest. They are believed to destabilize the substrate, smother oysters with debris, anddrain off water (through their burrows) from diked oyster beds. Ghost shrimp are harvested by commercial bait fishermen and recreational fishermen in California, Oregon, and Washington" (Virginia Tech 1996). "Ghost shrimp live in burrows in the intertidal sand or mudflats of west coast bays and estuaries. Entrances to ghost shrimp burrows may be observed in the center of small conical hills of sand and small pebbles. The ghost shrimp digs tunnels branching in all directions, forming complex burrows with various numbers of openings. Ghost shrimp are common residents of eelgrass beds in the Pacific Northwest." (Virginia Tech 1996). This group of shrimp sifts food from the substrate and filters detrtitus and plankton (Virginia Tech 1996) Note Author: R. Klinkenberg July 2009. |
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