Many shrimp species live around Iceland. However, only one is fished, northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis). Sometimes small quantities of Aesop shrimp (P. montaqui) are fished as bycatch.

The northern shrimp is common in the depth range of 50 to 500 m and is most abundant in the cold waters north of Iceland. Substantial fisheries on northern shrimp were conducted in the fjords adjacent to Eyjafjörður, but for some unexplained reasons it has never been common in Eyjafjörður. It is always present, but not in fishable quantities except for the year 1996 when slightly less than 50 t were fished. Pandalus shrimps are hermaphroditic. They are males for the first 3 to 5 years but then become females.

Other shrimp species found in Eyjafjörður are Sclerocrangon boreas, Lebbeus polaris, Eualus pusiolus, Pandalus propinquus, Pontophilus norvegius, Sabinea septemcarinata, Spirontocaris lilljeborgii and Spirontocaris spinus. Four of the last ones have only been found as planktonic larvae. Eualus pusiolus is probably the most common species in the fjord but it is also the smallest.

Shrimps are only found below the seashore in Eyjafjörður. Some, such as the northern shrimp, only in the deep channels of the fjord.

In deeper waters, north of the fjord, the large and armoured Sclerocrangon ferox can be found. Another species found there is Hymenodora glacialis. It is mostly pelagic while S. ferox is benthic. H. glacialis is brightly red coloured and has a soft shell. It is an important food for cod and Greenland halibut in the colder waters of Iceland. Sergestes arcticus can also be found in the pelagic zone north of the country. This species is in an ancient group of shrimps and in fact not very related to the above mentioned species.

HV

Lítil ógreind rækja (mynd Erlendur Bogason) Lítil ógreind rækja (mynd Erlendur Bogason)

Litli kampalampi (mynd Erlendur Bogason) Litli kampalampi (mynd Erlendur Bogason)