A 'ghost' native to Missouri

Pictured here are two small freshwater shrimp called "ghost shrimp." I dipped them up using a long-handled dip net with 1/16-inch mesh. I put them in a small jar with a couple sticks in order to photograph them. After photographing them, I put them back into the water.

There are several kinds of freshwater shrimp in countries around the world. The ghost shrimp is native to eastern North America. It is a small, semitransparent shrimp that can be difficult to see. Other common names for this shrimp are glass shrimp and grass shrimp.

Good places to find the ghost shrimp are in submerged vegetation in ponds, lakes or streams. The ghost shrimp lives on a diet of small fish fry, algae and water plants. Pan fish will readily take an offering of ghost shrimp threaded onto a very small hook.

The ghost shrimp will not bite you, but it can jump out of your hand with the flick of its tail. Once on the ground, the ghost shrimp may prove difficult to find.