Occasionally it eats some of this debris, but mostly it makes a compact ball that is held together with secrete from the mouth. The ball is then pressed onto the wall of the burrow. This process continues until the mud shrimp has decorated the whole of the wall in the tunnel with detrious material.     The mud shrimp uses its middle legs to create a water current and thus ventilate its burrow. With the water currents come particles of food that the mud shrimp catches with the help of its brush furnished legs around the mouth. Swim on their backs Individuals that are larger than about 5,5 mm usually change their holes regularly with a few days interval. When they leave their hole they can either crawl or swim on the bottom. When they swim, this journey is made on their backs - usually by short and quick spurts of about 5-10 seconds. Between these spurts the mud shrimp can either slowly swim on its back or crawl along the bottom. If the sediment is drained, for example at low-tide, the mud shrimp pulls itself along with the use of its long antennae and pushing with its legs at the same time. <A HREF="corokry.mov">&#91;Watch a mud shrimp creep along the bottom!&#93;</A> Mud shrimps are usually noticed first when they move because their size, colour and camoflage that resembles their background make them difficult to see. Investigates other burrows During its excursions the mud shrimp investigates other burrows with its antennae. If another individual is in the burrow the trespasser immediately departs, sometimes after a short fight. It is seldom that a trespasser can occupy a burrow that is already inhabited. Sometimes two individuals of the opposite sex can occupy the same burrow. It is assumed that mating occurs in the burrows. Page 2 of 3
Digs skillfully
Decorates with detrious
Swim on their back
Several litters
Fishfood and aviation fuel
More specie

Mud shrimp     More facts     Other names

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Bo Johannesson | Martin Larsvik | Lars-Ove Loo | Helena Samuelsson