Have you ever seen these Mysids, aka Opossum Shrimps? Plus a distinctive Kelp Crab.

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*This post has been amended - I thought these were Krill but Tim Bray let me know I was incorrect, and Robert Van Syoc agreed. They are Mysids.* Amy Ruegg recently saw Mysids at low tide. She described them as tiny with brown bodies and two black eyes. She used a Tupperware bowl to scoop them up for a closer look. Their common name is Opossum Shrimp. They are small, shrimp-like crustaceans. They are an important food source for many fish and even great whales when they feed on rocky reef areas.

She also spotted a Shield-backed Kelp Crab which she also scooped up for a closer look. You can see tiny Mysids in the bowl too, to give you perspective.

Amy returned the Crab to his home in the kelp and the Mysids back into the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

We have a stretch of sunny weather here on the Mendonoma Coast. Look for the Orion meteor shower, which peaks on Oct. 21 and Oct 22nd in the early hours of the morning.

2 thoughts on “Have you ever seen these Mysids, aka Opossum Shrimps? Plus a distinctive Kelp Crab.”

  1. Tim

    I think those are Mysids, a small crustacean that often occurs here in late summer/fall in shallow water. Gray Whales sometimes come into very shallow water to feed on them.
    Krill are Euphausiids, a different kind of small crustacean that is more pelagic.

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