Japanese skeleton shrimp

Caprella mutica

The Japanese skeleton shrimp is a thin, stick-like amphipod that clings to algae, hydroids, ropes, and boat hulls. It is native to the northwest Pacific and invasive in many other regions.

Not a fish · an aquatic neighbor

Water

Saltwater

Sheltered bays, macroalgae, hydroids, bryozoans, aquaculture gear, and artificial structures.

Temperature

Range not established

A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not established from the reviewed sources, so both values are null.

Size

Up to about 5 cm (2 in) long

About the length of a paperclip

Lifespan

Best-supported wild lifespan is not established.

Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.

01 · Signature adaptation

What does it do?

It remains attached to vegetation or structures for much of its life. Dense introduced populations can compete with native amphipods and foul aquaculture equipment.

Its superpowerIts grasping limbs let it cling tightly to flexible structures in strong currents.

02 · Home coordinates

Where does it live?

Native to the Sea of Japan and northwest Pacific; introduced across Europe, North America, and New Zealand.

Regions: Northwest Pacific · Introduced North Atlantic and North Pacific

03 · The menu

What does it eat?

It scrapes particles from surfaces and filters food from the water with bristled appendages.

Detritivore and suspension feeder: detritus, plankton, hydroids, small benthic organisms.

04 · Remember this

Two wow facts

Living coat hanger

It can rapidly colonize ropes, boat hulls, aquaculture facilities, and offshore structures.

Sources [1]

Tiny filterer

Its bristled appendages can sieve particles from the water column.

Sources [1]