''Palaemon serenus'', commonly known as the red-handed shrimp, rockpool shrimp, or rock-pool prawn, is a species of marine

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

in the family Palaemonidae native to southern and eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. They are omnivores, feeding on algae or scavenging for animal matter.

Description

Measuring up to long, ''Palaemon serenus'' has a transparent body with reddish spots and flecks arranged longitudinally along the abdomen and oblique red lines on the carapace. The second pair of legs are elongated, with small white claws and a bright red band near the claws. Females are larger than males and carry eggs under the abdomen.

Distribution and habitat

''Palaemon serenus'' can be found in the coastal waters of southern and eastern Australia, including

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Victoria,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. It inhabits intertidal areas, coastal reefs, and seagrass meadows down to depths of . They can also be found in high salinity zones within

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

References

Crustaceans described in 1862 Palaemonidae {{Caridea-stub