Other Names

• Ambidextrous Burrower

General Description

Rostrum short. Claws (chelipeds) equal and similar in both sexes; fourth segment (merus) unarmed, carinate on upper margin; sixth segment (propodus) carinate on upper and lower margins; fixed finger with proximal tooth; last segment (dactylus) usually smooth. Tail fan (telson) with concave posterior margin, much shorter than uropods. Body up to 8.5 cm length.

Biology

Ghost shrimps dig deep permanent burrows on mud flats intertidally and on deeper sediment. In places like Western Port, the burrows can be found alongside seagrasses. Each burrow has two openings, one funnel-shaped down which water is drawn for ventilation, and another with a volcano built of mud excavated by the shrimp and dumped outside.

Habitat

Mudflats, often estuarine, intertidal-9 m depth.

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

East Indo-west Pacific Oceans (Maldive Archipelago). Southern Australia, excluding Tasmania.

Species Group

Prawns, shrimps, lobsters › Ghost and mud shrimps

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

8.5 cm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 1006

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Not listed