#theshrimpening

What did the Caprellid amphipod say to the shrimp? We have no idea; we don’t speak Crustacean. ⁠⁠

Caprellid amphipods, like this one perched atop its very own sponge mountain, typically live on the mouthparts of deep-sea crabs. Also known as skeleton shrimp, these tiny amphipods look like the praying mantises of the sea. They have two pairs of legs at the front end of their bodies and three pairs of legs at the back end. The front legs are powerful “claws” used for defense and capturing food. The rear legs grasp and hold on to a substrate, most likely another animal.

Fridays are shrimply the best. ⁠

This deep-sea shrimp, Acanthephyra sp., can be found at depths between 500 and 3,000 meters (1,640 and 9,840 feet). Like many other animals in the deep sea, these shrimp use red pigments to hide because red light is one of the first wavelengths of visible light to be absorbed by the ocean (at approximately 100 meters), rendering any animal using it invisible. The red coloration is visible in this image because lights shining from the ROV illuminate the scene.

Swimming through Shrimp Week like…⁠
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This midwater shrimp (Eusergestes similis) is an agile, fast-swimming species that preys on krill and copepods. Eusergestes are an important food source for salmon, tuna, squid, and many other commercially valuable species. This individual was observed in Monterey Bay at 520 meters (1,700 feet) deep.