Shrimp can swim backwards.

The story behind the answer

True. Shrimp have a rapid escape move called the caridoid escape: they snap their powerful abdominal muscles, flipping the tail fan (telson and uropods) under the body to push a jet of water forward and propel themselves backward in an instant. This reflex is triggered by sensory hairs that detect threats and can occur in just milliseconds.

In calm moments, shrimp move forward using small paddling legs (pleopods) or by walking, but when startled they “reverse rocket” to safety—just like lobsters and crayfish. Remember it this way: shrimp swim forward to forage, but flip backward to flee.