The Common Freshwater Shrimp Gammarus pulex

Features

They feed on small animals, plant residue and organic debris. The common freshwater shrimp are food for many fish.

Species	Crab
Living space	Groundwater
Size	5 to 15 mm
Weight	some grams

Description

Their second and third pairs of legs are highly developed because they allow them to cling on to certain sirfaces. The first three pairs of abdominal legs are large, flat and meant for swimming The last three pairs of legs are turned backwards and look like tail legs. On the head, there are antennas with dense bristles. They reproduce sexually and the female can have up to 30 eggs. Their offspring hatch by crawling out of these eggs. Once the offspring have hatched, they remain in the female's hatching bag for a short time. After each hatching, the female moults.