Biology/Natural History: Diet is largely small crustaceans. Pandalids capture their prey by trapping it among their legs. Predators include dogfish, Pacific cod, hake, and turbot. Parasites include the isopod Bopyroides hippolytes and the rhizocephalan barnacle Sylon hippolytes. This species is a protandric hermaphrodite. Larvae hatch in March and April and remain pelagic for 6 instars before settling to the bottom. Become sexually mature at about 18 months at a carapace length of 1.6 cm. At that time there is about a 50/50 ratio of males to females (if few females are present in the population, more males turn to females sooner). Breed in mid-November. Females carry eggs through the winter (average about 1600-2100 eggs). In their second spring most males turn into females. By 30 months all individuals are females and average just over 2 cm carapace length. Live about 3-4 years. Has been an important commercially harvested shrimp in British Columbia and Alaska.