Mississippi Grass Shrimp

Mississippi grass shrimp (paleomonetes kadiakensis) are a freshwater crustacean found from northeastern Mexico to the Great Lakes. They seldom exceed 1.5″ in size and are a preferred food of bluegill and redear. Their diet includes plankton, detritus, and other invertebrates and they strongly prefer aquatic vegetation as habitat. When stocked into ponds managed for trophy bluegill, they can make a major difference in the average size of the bluegill. They generally will not succeed in ponds with established fish populations unless significant weedgrowth is present.