Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate some life history traits of the palaemonid shrimp Typton carneus collected from a reef in northeastern Brazil. Samples of the sponges Amphimedon compressa, A. viridis, Desmapsamma anchorata, Dysidea etheria, Haliclona implexiformis and Tedania ignis were analyzed and shrimps were removed from them. A total of 41 individuals were found in Te. ignis, three in H. implexiformis and one in D. etheria; the latter two sponges are new records of sponge hosts for Ty. carneus. Of the specimens associated with Te. ignis, 24 were males, 10 ovigerous females, six non-ovigerous females and one juvenile male. Fecundity varied between 19 to 56 eggs (37 ± 14) per female, and the mean egg volume was 0.033 ± 0.010 mm³. Eleven heterosexual pairs were obtained. Characteristics of the pairs suggest a monogamous mating system for the studied population, such as: the absence of sexual dimorphism in weaponry and body size and presence of paired non-brooding and brooding females carrying eggs in different development stages; and a sex ratio that does not differ from the expected 1:1. However, the lack of size-assortative pairing as well as the low proportion of pairs, compared to solitary individuals, have been observed in polygamous mating systems.