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: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Coastal streams from East Africa to the western Pacific
Family: Palaemonidae

Overview

The lollipop prawn is a slim, long-armed prawn best kept alone or as a single pair in a tank of around 75 liters, since it will fish for anything small that passes by. It is not a brawler with larger fish, but shrimp, snails, fry, and small slow tankmates are treated as food, so choose sturdy, quick companions or none at all. It stays near the bottom and among wood by day and grows more active after dark, reaching out with its long claws to feel for prey. Cover matters more to it than swimming room, so build up driftwood, roots, and caves where it can shelter and molt safely. Feed sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, and bits of mussel or prawn.

In the wild

This is a wide-ranging Indo-Pacific prawn found in shaded coastal streams from East Africa across to the western Pacific islands, usually where fresh water runs close to the sea. It shelters under wood and among roots in gentle current. In the aquarium it wants warm water from 24 to 28 C, a neutral to slightly alkaline pH around 7.0 to 8.0, and hard rather than soft water. A dim tank with fine substrate, tangled wood, and leaf litter suits it, and like its relatives it needs brackish water to raise larvae.

Good to know

Macrobrachium gracilirostre is a palaemonid prawn that reaches about 10 centimeters in body length, with a pair of slender claws that can be longer than the body and are tipped in red. Males and females both grow long arms, which they use like probes to reach and grip prey. Its name refers to the slender rostrum, the toothed spike between the eyes. Breeding is hard in home tanks: the larvae are planktonic and need brackish water to develop, so captive-bred stock is uncommon.

Did you know

Its long claws are not just for show. The prawn uses them like a pair of tongs, reaching out in the dark to feel for and pick up food and small animals it cannot see.