Harlequin shrimp
Hymenocera picta
- Scientific name
- Hymenocera picta
- Group
- Crustaceans
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The harlequin shrimp feeds almost exclusively on sea stars, flipping them onto their back and keeping them alive as a food source for several days. Mated pairs stay together and defend the same territory as a team.
What defines this group — Crustaceans
Armoured arthropods: crabs, shrimp and lobsters, all built around an external shell.
- The skeleton is on the outside; growing means shedding it — the moult.
- Jointed legs in pairs, often reshaped into claws or antennae.
- The larvae drift with the plankton in open water before settling on the bottom.
Other species in this group
- Common hermit crab
- Green shore crab
- Caribbean spiny lobster
- Skunk cleaner shrimp
- Spinous spider crab
- Common prawn