Ghost Shrimp

About

Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) are about as close to invisible as a living animal can get. Their bodies are almost completely see-through, and with a bit of patience you can watch their internal organs working in real time, which never really gets old. Native to freshwater streams, ponds, and vegetated shallows across the eastern and southeastern United States, these little shrimp are found in enormous numbers in the wild, grazing constantly on algae, detritus, and whatever organic matter they can find. That same relentless scavenging behavior makes them genuinely useful in the aquarium, where they'll patrol every corner picking up leftover food and keeping things tidy. They're peaceful toward fish and other tank inhabitants, though anything large enough to eat them almost certainly will, so choose tankmates with that in mind. Ghost shrimp are one of the most forgiving invertebrates you can keep, tolerating a fairly wide range of water conditions and adapting well to community setups. They're often sold as feeder animals, which is a shame because a colony in a well-planted tank is genuinely interesting to observe. Inexpensive, hardy, and surprisingly active, they're a great first invertebrate for anyone just getting into shrimp keeping.