Harlequin Shrimp Care
they simply do not know to eat
anything else.
Most of the harlequin shrimp’s
hunting activities take place
at night. They frequently go
out on their hunting forays in
pairs. Linckia spp. starfishes are
reported to be their favoured
target. Using their well-tuned
sensory antennae, they locate
their prey by smell. Attempts
to subdue their quarry begin as
soon as it is found. First, using
its walking legs, the shrimp
grabs the starfish by an arm.
Then, using its large, powerful
claws, it pushes up to pry the
starfish’s arm from the bottom.
When there is a large enough
gap to fit beneath, the shrimp
slips under its prey and flips it
over. Subdued in this manner,
the shrimp can then take its
sweet time to finish the job.
Specialised feeding limbs are
used to penetrate the starfish’s
tough, protective outer tissues.
This seems to be the hard-
est task for the shrimp, and it
may take several days before it
finally cracks its prey’s physi-
cal defenses. Once it breaks
through to the inner parts, it
can feed on the starfish’s tube
feet and other soft tissues.
Captive care
Being closely associated with
coral reefs in its natural environ-
ment, the harlequin shrimp
prefers roughly the same
housing and water parameters
one might find in a typical,
well-maintained reef tank.
Though it can be a bit shy and
retiring (particularly during the
daylight hours), it is generally
quite adaptable to the home
aquarium. It is not known to be
susceptible to any particular
sort of infection or parasitic
infestation. It is, with the obvi-
ous exception of starfishes,
considered to be reef-safe. Of
course, basic compatibility rules
for ornamental shrimps apply;
they cannot be safely kept with
larger, predatory fishes such as
lionfishes, puffers, triggers, and
many wrasses and hawkfishes.
A juvenile harlequin shrimp atop a Linckia starfish. Photo by Rickard Zerpe.This harlequin shrimp is preparing to subdue its prey, a Fromia starfish. Photo by Nathalie Rodrigues.J u n e 2 017 61