Palaemonidae: ghost and glass shrimp with claws

The palaemonids are the 'true' river and estuary shrimp: they have working claws and a more opportunistic nature than the dwarf shrimp of the family Atyidae. The group includes the genus Macrobrachium, with species over 20 cm that hunt fish.

In the aquarium two small species are seen most: the ghost shrimp and the glass shrimp. They are hardy and good scavengers, but should not be treated like a Neocaridina: when hungry they eat other shrimp's young, fry and small snails.