The Harlequin shrimp is a visually attractive species with a stunning appearance, and it is considered a “killer” of starfish under coral reefs due to its ability to prey on individuals much larger than its own body.
This is a species of saltwater shrimp that lives on coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific regions.
It is generally considered to be the only species in the genus Hymenocera.
But some divide it into two species: H. picta in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, characterized by its purple-pink spots on its body with a yellow edge, and H elegans in the Indian Ocean and western Thailand. Binh Duong, characterized by browner notes and blue edges…
The body of this species is about 5cm long.
They live in pairs and eat starfish, including thorny starfish.
They like to eat starfish that are small and move less.
The harlequin shrimp even eat the Acanthaster starfish (the second largest starfish in the world, after the sunflower starfish).
