Peppermint Shrimp Pregnant?

[RedfishReefer]

I went fishing today in Tampa and the bait shop guy told me there was a what he called “strawberry shrimp” which is clearly a peppermint shrimp that he was gonna put in my bucket of live shrimp for bait. He asked if I had a saltwater aquarium or anything and sure enough I did. Told me to put it in my tank. Luckily it lasted all day on the water in the live well. I noticed it looks pregnant. Anyone can confirm if this thing is pregnant and if so looks like it might pop anytime?

 

[mypocketreef]

Hey! A little hard to tell from the picture, but if it looks like egg shapes in the enlarged part of the abdomen then yes! From what I have seen online, when they are on the belly side it is likely that they are fertilized, but growing them to adult size in captivity is very difficult and requires special care. Personally, I'd say it's worth a shot to leave them in your tank, but they likely will be a snack for your fish.