What do Chaoshan people mean by local shrimp?

The local shrimp that Chaoshan people say is green shrimp.

Chaoshan soil shrimp, scientific name green shrimp (Macrobrachium? Nipponese, also known as Macrobrachium nipponense, is an arthropod belonging to Macrobrachium nipponense. Its characteristic is that the two claws of mature prawns are very thick and large.

Soil shrimp is a creature that lives in dry soil. Soil shrimp feed on plant roots and are usually found under the soil of potatoes and other crops. The front paws of soil shrimp are relatively large, and the shrimp shell is gray.

Soil shrimp that feed on plant roots and soil are regarded as pests. In the past, in potato producing areas such as North China, farmers often organized activities to eliminate native shrimps in late spring and early summer.

Soil shrimp has strong adaptability and self-dormancy in harsh environment, so it is difficult to be eradicated. Once it breaks out, it will be a disaster. The famine in the Soviet Union a few years ago was largely due to crop failure caused by a large number of native shrimps eating potatoes.

Living habits:

Shrimp is pure fresh water, living in rivers, lakes, ponds and ditches, and living in the depths of water in winter. After the water temperature rises in spring, it begins to move to the shore, and in summer, it looks for bait to breed in coastal aquatic plants.

The spawning period is from April to early September, and the peak period is from June to July. The suitable water temperature is 18-28℃. Overwintering female shrimp can lay eggs twice in April-July. When the eggs laid for the first time hatch, the ovaries mature again, and then molt, mate and lay eggs for the second time. Spawning interval is about 20-25 days. Among the new shrimps of that year, some shrimps (generally 24-35 mm long) matured sexually in August and laid eggs, but their offspring could not lay eggs that year.

After the mature ovary of female shrimp, the ovary is brown-green, and the edge of the ventral nail is pale yellow, and it opens to both sides. Mating occurs before the female lays eggs. Before mating, females usually molt first. When mating, the male shrimp hugs the female shrimp, and the belly of the male shrimp sticks to the belly of the female shrimp, lying on the bottom of the water or aquatic plants, and then the male shrimp discharges the sperm pods. The mating time is very short. After mating, females usually lay eggs within 24 hours. The spawning time is mostly before dawn. All mature eggs in the ovary are produced at one time.