The shrimp Palaemon adspersus Rathke was exposed to the water soluble fraction (WSF: 50; 100; 200 ppb) of North Sea crude oil. The ventilatory behaviour, measured with impedance techniques, was followed for 2 wk and in a subsequent recovery period for 5 wk. Exposure to WSF caused a gradual increase in arrhythmic scaphognathite activity. After 6 d of exposure to 200 ppb shrimps spent more than 50% of the time beating arrhythmically, persisting and sometimes increasing to 100% during the remainder of the exposure period. In the 100 and 50 ppb groups, the proportion of time spent beating arrhythmically increased gradually with exposure time reaching 30 and 20% respectively. After 4 wk in clean seawater no signs of recovery were evident for individuals previously exposed to 200 ppb while those previously in 50 ppb had all recovered. After 5 wk those previously in 100 ppb had recovered and the 200 ppb group showed signs of recovery. The disturbances in ventilatory behaviour when exposed to WSF is considered to be due to damage to gill membranes or to nerve tissue, especially to the neurons in the suboesophageal ganglion controlling scaphognathite activity.