The lake prawn is a small, nearly see-through freshwater shrimp from Japan and Korea, marked with seven dark bands across its body. It lives in rivers, ponds, and lakes and is a popular fishing bait in Japan. It is not found in the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Males are about 1.4 in (3.5 cm) long and females about 2 in (5 cm). The body is almost transparent, so you can see the organs inside, and it has seven dark brown bands. Dead shrimp turn milky white.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Rivers and streams
- Lakes and reservoirs
- Ponds
- Range
- Native to the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Prawns from Hokkaido, northeastern Honshu, and the Sea of Japan coast were described as a separate species in 2019. It is not found in the United States.
- Preferred conditions
- Lives mainly in fresh water. It hides under stones and among water plants during the day.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly small animals such as aquatic insects, small crustaceans, snails, and worms, plus dead animals, algae, and water plants.
- Activity
- Active mainly at night.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Females carry clusters of greenish eggs under the tail for about a month. The tiny larvae drift in the water for 20–30 days before settling as young shrimp.
- Lifespan
- About 2–3 years in Japan; a study of a Korean lake population estimated about one year.
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