Lollipop prawn
Macrobrachium gracilirostre
Also known as Slender-nose prawn, Red-clawed lollipop shrimp
FreshwaterShrimp
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.0
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Palaemonidae
- Origin
- Coastal streams from East Africa to the western Pacific
Overview
The lollipop prawn is a slim, long-armed prawn for a dim tank with plenty of cover. It is a step up from the easiest shrimp.
Did you know
The lollipop prawn uses its long claws like a pair of tongs. It reaches out in the dark to feel for and pick up food and small animals it cannot see.
Caring for the lollipop prawn
Keep the lollipop prawn alone or as a single pair in 20 gal (75 L) or more. Cover matters more to it than swimming room, so build up driftwood, roots and caves where it can shelter and molt safely. A dim tank with fine substrate, tangled wood and leaf litter suits it.
Give it hard rather than soft water, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of 7.0 to 8.0. It stays near the bottom and among wood by day and grows more active after dark. Feed sinking foods, frozen bloodworm and bits of mussel or prawn.
It will fish for anything small that passes by. It is not a brawler with larger fish, but it treats shrimp, snails, fry and small, slow tank mates as food. Choose sturdy, quick companions or none at all.
It is hard to breed in home tanks. The larvae are planktonic and need brackish water to develop, so captive-bred stock is uncommon.
Good to know
Macrobrachium gracilirostre is a palaemonid prawn whose slender claws can be longer than its body and are tipped in red. Males and females both grow these long arms. Its name refers to the slender rostrum, the toothed spike between the eyes.
In the wild
The lollipop prawn is a wide-ranging Indo-Pacific prawn of shaded coastal streams, from East Africa across to the western Pacific islands. It usually lives where fresh water runs close to the sea, sheltering under wood and among roots in gentle current.
Common questions
What size tank does a lollipop prawn need?
A lollipop prawn needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a lollipop prawn need?
A lollipop prawn is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.
What does a lollipop prawn eat?
A lollipop prawn eats sinking foods, frozen bloodworm and bits of mussel or prawn. It will also catch shrimp, snails, fry and small, slow tank mates that pass by.
How big does a lollipop prawn get?
An adult lollipop prawn reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
How does a lollipop prawn breed?
A lollipop prawn is hard to breed in home tanks. Its larvae are planktonic and need brackish water to develop, so captive-bred stock is uncommon.
Related species
2.8 in (7 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Taiwanese long claw prawn
Macrobrachium placidulum
2.8 in (7 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)16 gal (60 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)Riceland prawn
Macrobrachium lanchesteri
2.4 in (6 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
12.6 in (32 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)Giant freshwater prawn
Macrobrachium spinipes
12.6 in (32 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)64–84°F (18–29°C)Ghost shrimp
Palaemon paludosus
1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)13 gal (50 L)72–84°F (22–29°C)Bamboo shrimp
Atyopsis moluccensis
3.9 in (10 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Marble wood shrimp
Atya scabra
3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)