Skeleton Shrimp (or Ghost Shrimp)
Scientific Name: Caprella spp. (Family Caprellidae)
Order & Family: Order: Amphipoda, Family: Caprellidae
Size: Generally quite small, ranging from a few millimeters up to about 50 mm (2 inches) in length, depending on the species.
Natural Habitat
Marine environments; typically found clinging to algae, hydroids, sponges, or man-made structures like pilings and buoys in shallow to deep waters.
Diet & Feeding
Omnivorous detritivores and filter feeders; they consume diatoms, detritus, protozoans, smaller amphipods, and crustacean larvae.
Behavior Patterns
They are ambush predators that mimic seaweed or hydroids to camouflage themselves. They move inchworm-style by grasping a substrate with their front claws, bending their body, and bringing up their rear legs.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans; beneficial as a food source for fish and for cleaning detritus in marine ecosystems, though they can be minor fouling organisms on aquaculture nets.
Identified on: 3/8/2026