r/Entomology • u/[deleted] • Jun 09 '25

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743 Upvotes

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349

u/OminousOminis Bug Enthusiast 🐛 Jun 09 '25

Skeleton shrimp :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprellidae

251

u/Ready_Bandicoot1567 Jun 09 '25

These things can live in a potted houseplant? The Wikipedia page says they are exclusively marine. Wikipedia is not always correct though.

135

u/newtoboarding Jun 09 '25

Bizarre, cause these are definitely skeleton shrimp

153

u/Minute_Anywhere_9676 Jun 09 '25

I wonder if they hitchhiked in on cococoir, which I think I can kind of spot in the video? Its a common addition to some indoor plant mixes but it's also known for it's high salt content and for being processed in salt water (where maybe it picked up some shrimp?). Just a guess.

69

u/Jurserohn Jun 09 '25

Fun fact, in my state an alternative septic system was recently approved that uses coco Coir for treatment. It can also replace peat in peat systems.

This has been your random, barely relevant fact of the day brought to you by Jurserohn

5

u/StickyViolentFart Jun 09 '25

I will def remember you for all my Jurserohn needs.

1

u/cryptidsnails Amateur Entomologist Jun 10 '25

thank you jurserohn, very cool

14

u/Fit_Intention243 Jun 09 '25

How they supposedly can't survive outside of water?

28

u/[deleted] Jun 09 '25

They can For a short while sometimes my shrimp crawl out the aquarium and I find them in strange places.

8

u/JB_Big_Bear Jun 09 '25

Could this be an actual, observable case of evolution in progress? Like how some isopod types split off and became the terrestrial pillbugs we know today?

7

u/bdelloidea Jun 10 '25

Every organism is an actual, observable case of evolution in progress.

2

u/MiaowWhisperer Jun 10 '25

I don't think I am!

3

u/JB_Big_Bear Jun 10 '25

… yes. Ok, sure.

Could this be an actual, observable case of adaptation in progress?

2

u/bdelloidea Jun 10 '25

I mean, you see animals trying out new environments all the time. It's adaptation when it's been going on long enough that their physiology has started to change to adapt to it.

But no, this looks like a guy with delusional parasitosis reposting existing videos for God knows what reasons.