Invertebrates
Common Prawn
Palaemon serratus · also called rockpool prawn
In a rock pool at low tide, a common prawn hangs almost invisible, its glassy body ringed with fine purple bands.
Overview
The common prawn, Palaemon serratus, is a translucent crustacean of rock pools and rocky shallows from Scotland to Mauritania and the Mediterranean. Its banded camouflage, toothed snout, and role as a food of southern Europe make it one of the most familiar prawns on rocky shores.
A prawn that hides in plain sight
The transparency and fine bands of the common prawn make it nearly impossible to see among weed and rock until it moves.
Status
Not Evaluated, but common along its range.
Common Prawn: common questions
How is a prawn different from a shrimp?
The common prawn is larger and lives on rocky shores and in rock pools, whereas the brown shrimp is smaller and lives on sand and mud.
What is the toothed snout?
It is a long, upturned snout, called a rostrum, with several teeth on top and a few below.
Where does the common prawn live?
It lives in rock pools, among kelp, and in the shallows of rocky shores, hiding in crevices and under weed.
Where is the common prawn found?
It lives on rocky shores of the north-eastern Atlantic, from Scotland to Mauritania, and in the Mediterranean.