Dwarf Shrimp Anatomy

 

Quick Reference
Name Common Names Use
Abdomen Tail section Swimming, holding eggs
Carapace Head section  Protecting vital organs
Maxillipeds Claws Modified legs used for feeding
Pleopods Swimmerettes Swimming, holding and fanning eggs
Rostrum Nose Defense (mostly useless for dwarf shrimp)
Uropod Tail Swimming
Walking Legs Legs Walking
More Detail
Name Details
Abdomen This section of the dwarf shrimp is the most muscular section of the shrimp.  In many shrimp it is nearly see through.
Carapace The carapace is the strongest section of a dwarf shrimp.  The shell on this section is thicker to protect all the shrimp vital organs.  All legs, maxillipeds, the rostrum and eyes are attached to the carapace.
Maxillipeds The maxillipeds are the modified legs that have small claws on the end of them used for eating.  In long arm shrimp, one pair of these extends and becomes quite large.  
Pleopods Pleopods are the small swimming legs found on the underside of the Abdomen.  These legs are used for swimming through the water column.  They are also used by female shrimp to carry and clean eggs until they hatch.
Rostrum The rostrum is the pointed “nose” on the front of the dwarf shrimp.  In some shrimp it is used for defense, but in dwarf shrimp it is nearly useless for this.  The Rostrum is one of the most important identifying attributes for many dwarf shrimp.
Uropod The uropod is the tail section of a dwarf shrimp.  This tail allows the shrimp to have a rapid backwards acceleration when flicked using the muscular abdomen.
Walking Legs Walking legs are exactly what they sound like.  They are the legs a dwarf shrimp uses to walk.
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