Palaemon paludosus
A nearly transparent freshwater shrimp that grazes algae and biofilm along plant surfaces and substrate in the Freshwater Lake, Ghost Shrimp produced the first zoea documented in miniBIOTA in April 2026, marking the system's first confirmed crustacean reproduction in the lake biome.
At least four adults were confirmed in the lake biome on April 11, 2026, though visibility limited the full count. Zoea were first observed on April 19, confirming reproduction. They remained visible for three nights and appeared to grow, but were no longer visible by May 1. Juvenile recruitment remains unconfirmed.
Grazes algae and biofilm from plant stems, substrate, and glass surfaces, and processes detritus and fine organic particles. In miniBIOTA, zoea are also a potential prey item for small predators, making this species both a consumer and a trophic resource during its larval window.
Primarily freshwater; can tolerate low brackish conditions at species level, but this miniBIOTA record is Freshwater Lake/Lakeshore only. Sensitive larval survival is the current establishment bottleneck.
Females carry eggs until they hatch into free-swimming zoea. In miniBIOTA, zoea were first documented on April 19, 2026. This confirms breeding, but the larvae have not yet been observed surviving to the juvenile stage.
Grazes algae, biofilm, and detritus in the Freshwater Lake, cycling organic material through the food web. Its long-term ecological function in the closed system depends on whether the population can persist and recruit; a small adult count with confirmed but unresolved larval survival does not yet establish a durable trophic role.
Follow this species across the habitats where it currently appears in the miniBIOTA biosphere.
