Category: Invertebrate
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Family: Palaemonidae

Notes
Transparent for camouflage. Common among rocks and under rocky overhangs. Large numbers can often be found in pockets of deep brackish water around estuaries. They can tolerate a wide range of salinity and can be found near freshwater or in rock pools where water has evapourated leaving a very salty mix behind (salinity range 5-43 g salt/L seawater). Ferocious predators and scavengers. It is fascinating to watch the food travel through their body cavity.


References
A Guide to the Plants and Animals of the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre: McKinnon