The harlequin shrimp is quite simply one of the most stunning marine shrimp ever to enter the marine aquarium trade. I rank it right up there with the peacock mantis shrimp in terms of beauty and uniqueness.
It looks more like a flower than it does a shrimp. Its entire body is white with spots that range from purple, orange to blue in color. It has two flat pincers that it constantly waves around, giving it the nickname, the dancing harlequin shrimp.
WATER AND CHOCOLATE STARFISH
There are two known species, Hymenocera Elagans and Hymenocera Picta. H.Elegans hails from most of the Indo Pacific while H.Picta is collected from the waters surrounding Hawaii. It isn't entirely clear what separates the two species of harlequin shrimp and there has been some debate on the topic.
Both species can reach a length of 2 inches in size. They are not an agile shrimp. They are also somewhat shy creatures that like to settle in a dark cave in the marine aquarium. Their diet is unique as they only prey on starfish in the wild. There have been reports of them going after sea urchins as well but i have not tested the theory myself.
When a starfish is sighted, they rush towards it and try to flip it over its back where they will drag it back to their cave for slow consumption. It is quite a sight to behold in a saltwater aquarium. After dragging the starfish back to their lair, feeding commences. The starfish is pinned down the entire time and precautions are taken not to allow to get upright again.
Feeding is a slow process where they slowly eat the starfish alive. It is in the harlequin best interest to ensure it remains alive as a dead starfish quickly rots. In the marine aquarium, this can quickly foul the water. Stick to chocolate chip starfish as i have found them to be much hardier than the linckia varieties.
Harlequin Shrimp WATER AND CHOCOLATE STARFISH
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