In this research, we compared the responses of a freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense), including food consumption, oxygen consumption, and body weight change, after paraquat and malathion exposure. The effects of these two pesticides on the feeding rates were remarkable. Feeding rates of this shrimp decreased when it was respectively exposed to increasing concentrations of both paraquat and malathion. As to body weight, when the concentration of paraquat and malathion increased, body weight decreased, and paraquat had a stronger effect than malathion. As to oxygen consumption, although there was a decrease in weight-specific oxygen consumption for both the control and exposed groups, the decrease was greater in exposed shrimp in relation to the dissolved oxygen concentration.