WTB Saltwater Ghost Shrimp

[Hannahhh]

Does anyone have or sell saltwater ghost shrimp? My dwarf lionfish eats frozen but not reliably, I'd like to have some shrimp as backup.

 

[gobyvin]

I don’t know if you fish, or like to walk the marshes or shores in the area, but if you do, I have two great options:
Grass shrimp.
1. Collect yourself (free)- where: Any marsh with freshwater input on the ocean.
Look in the flow of freshwater into the high marsh, in narrow streams, that are overgrown with filamentous algae. The grass shrimp spawn in spring in the low salinity waters along the upper marsh. Scoop the algae clumps with a dipnet. The shrimp are translucent to brown or green, depending on the backdrop. They jump around so grab them out of the net and put them in your bucket quick.
2. Fore River Bait and Tackle in Weymouth has these for bait for smelt fishing. Maybe not this time of year, but if you are near them they might tell you where they collect locally.
Smaller individuals may suit your lionfish better if it is small, but they don’t get huge. Think peppermint shrimp size.
Storing a number live is easy in a cool spot with airpump in your house. A five gallon bucket could sustain a two week supply pretty easy.

 

[Hannahhh]

I don’t know if you fish, or like to walk the marshes or shores in the area, but if you do, I have two great options:
Grass shrimp.
1. Collect yourself (free)- where: Any marsh with freshwater input on the ocean.
Look in the flow of freshwater into the high marsh, in narrow streams, that are overgrown with filamentous algae. The grass shrimp spawn in spring in the low salinity waters along the upper marsh. Scoop the algae clumps with a dipnet. The shrimp are translucent to brown or green, depending on the backdrop. They jump around so grab them out of the net and put them in your bucket quick.
2. Fore River Bait and Tackle in Weymouth has these for bait for smelt fishing. Maybe not this time of year, but if you are near them they might tell you where they collect locally.
Smaller individuals may suit your lionfish better if it is small, but they don’t get huge. Think peppermint shrimp size.
Storing a number live is easy in a cool spot with airpump in your house. A five gallon bucket could sustain a two week supply pretty easy.

That is a great idea, thank you so much!! Can you suggest any marshes? I live inland, so if I make the drive out to the shore, it would be great to have a destination in mind. My lionfish is quite small, so little shrimp would be perfect!

 

[gobyvin]

That is a great idea, thank you so much!! Can you suggest any marshes? I live inland, so if I make the drive out to the shore, it would be great to have a destination in mind. My lionfish is quite small, so little shrimp would be perfect!

I would think you should be able to find some easy around the Worlds End DCR Park near Weymouth/Hingham/Hull, MA easy. This is a great place to walk too. Very scenic views of Boston Harbor from the southern side. These shrimp are basically all over this area. Put on some rubber boots, grab a five mesh minnow dipnet and bucket and you should be able to score some. Really, any marsh will do.

 

[gobyvin]

42°15'01.6"N 70°51'40.7"W · Hingham School District, Hingham, MA

Hingham School District, Hingham, MA

www.google.com

Along this edge of the Weir River near Worlds End looks particularly promising. Looks like you could just pull off there for a minute and walk in to see. Sometimes these things are so think in the marsh channels one scoop from a meter wide creek that is around a foot deep is all you need.