What are shrimp?
A: Shrimp are crustaceans with elongated bodies and a primarily
swimming
mode of locomotion.
Any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to
be what?
A: Called one.
How do they swim forward?
A: By paddling with swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens.
Their escape response is typically repeated flicks with
the tail resulting in what?
A: Driving them backwards very quickly.
Crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas
shrimp have what?
A: Thin, fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.
There are thousands of species adapted to what?
A: A wide range of habitats.
They can be found feeding near the seafloor on most
what?
A: Coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes.
To escape predators, some species flip off the seafloor
and do what?
A: Dive into the sediment.
How long do they usually live?
A: From one to seven years.
Shrimp are often solitary, though they can form large
schools during what?
A: The spawning season.
They play important roles in the
food chain and are an
important food source for what?
A: Larger animals ranging from fish to whales.
The muscular tails of many shrimp are edible to humans,
and they are widely caught and what?
A: Farmed for human consumption.
Commercial shrimp species support an industry worth how
many dollars a year?
A: 50 billion dollars.
In 2010 the total commercial production of shrimp was
how much?
A: Nearly 7 million tonnes.
Shrimp farming became more prevalent during the 1980s,
particularly where?
A: In China, and by 2007 the harvest from shrimp farms exceeded the capture
of wild shrimp.
There are significant issues with excessive what when
shrimp are captured in the wild?
A: Bycatch.
Many shrimp species are small as the term shrimp
suggests, about 2 cm (0.79 in) long, but some shrimp exceed what length?
A: 25 cm (9.8 in).
Larger shrimps are more likely to be targeted
commercially and are often referred to as what?
A: Prawns, particularly in the Commonwealth of Nations and former British
colonies.
Most shrimp species are marine, although about a
quarter of the described species are found where?
A: In fresh water.
Marine species are found at what depths?
A: Depths of up to 5,000 meters (16,000 ft).
Although shrimp are almost entirely fully aquatic, the
two species of Merguia are semi-terrestrial and spend a significant part of
their life where?
A: On land in mangrove.
Colonies of snapping shrimp are a major source of noise
in the ocean and can interfere with what?
A: Sonar and underwater communication.
The small emperor shrimp has a symbiotic relationship
with what?
A: Sea slugs and sea cucumbers and may help keep them clear of
ectoparasites.
Pistol shrimp stun prey with what?
A: "Sonic booms", producing some of the loudest sounds in the ocean.
Cleaner shrimp feed on what?
A: The parasites and necrotic tissue of the reef fish they groom.
Some species of shrimp are known to cannibalize others
as well if what?
A: If other food sources are not readily available.
