Common shrimp  (Crangon crangon)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

The common shrimp, also known as the brown shrimp, is cryptically coloured (3); it is brown and covered with tiny flecks (2). Although most specimens tend to measure between 30 and 50 mm in length, some may grow to 90 mm. The carapace extends between the eyes into a short spine, and the flexible abdomen terminates in a tail fan (known as a 'telson') (2). The word 'shrimp' is Middle English; it may derive from the German word 'schrimpen', which means 'to shrink up', and is applied to small, weak things (4).

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