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Common prawn

Palaemon serratus

Almost see-through, with fine stripes and very long feelers. Easy to miss until it moves.

Size
Up to about 10cm long
Look for it
April to October
Where
Rock pools, under overhangs and among seaweed

My spotter's list

Hangs in the water, then darts after you with a flick of its tail. Move your pointer and see.

When to look

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Prawn

Good to know

Six things about the prawn

Glass

Nearly invisible

A prawn's body is almost see-through, which makes it very hard for a fish or bird to spot.

Escape

Backwards in a flash

When startled, a prawn snaps its tail under its body and shoots backwards.

Feelers

Longer than its body

Its feelers are longer than the rest of it, and it uses them to feel and taste the water around it.

Stripes

Look for stripes

Fine brown lines across the body and yellow and blue bands on the legs tell you it's a common prawn.

Food

Cleaning up

Prawns pick over the pool for scraps: bits of seaweed, tiny animals and anything dead.

Seasons

Out to sea for winter

Prawns are easiest to find in pools in summer. In winter most move into deeper water.

The real thing

Photos of the prawn

Common prawn, photo 1
Photo: Tylwyth Eldar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Common prawn, photo 2
Photo: New York-air, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Common prawn, photo 3
Photo: Holger Krisp, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Out and about

How to spot one

Look under overhangs and among weed in rock pools in summer. Stay still and watch for a see-through shape with long feelers drifting out.

Lend a hand

How to help

Watch them in the pool rather than netting them, and keep rock pools free of litter and sun cream.

Keep going

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