Rock shrimp

Common names: Rock shrimp.

Scientific name: Rhynchocinetes typus.

Size: In adulthood it can reach 12 cm. in length.

Where does it live?: In Chile its distribution has been described between Arica and the Biobío region, although it has also been recorded a little further south. It lives among the rocks in shallow waters and up to 20 meters deep.

Favorite sites: It lives in groups in the subtidal zone, among rocks or boulders.

Diet: It is a detritivorous species, which feeds on detritus or decomposing organic matter, helping to maintain the flow of nutrients and clean the seabed. It also feeds on microalgae and rotifers, microscopic invertebrates.

Curious fact: There is a mating behavior in which the male embraces the female with their third pair of maxillipeds, their legs and its abdomen. When the female begins to spawn, the males transfer the spermatophores, which are capsules or masses of sperm, to fertilize the eggs. Fertilization is external.

Conservation status: In Chile the species does not have an official conservation category, and globally it has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).