Saron neglectus, also known as the Eyespot Shrimp, Green Marble Shrimp, or Spotted Marbled Shrimp, is a small shrimp species found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. They are known for their striking green or reddish bodies with white bands on their legs and claw arms. These nocturnal creatures inhabit coral reef environments, often among corals or in rubble areas, and are typically no deeper than 12 meters. They are omnivores, with a particular fondness for coral polyps.
Key characteristics:
Appearance: Green or reddish body with white bands on legs and claws.
Size: Typically about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long.
Habitat: Coral reefs, rubble areas, typically not deeper than 12 meters (40 feet).
Diet: Omnivore, with a preference for coral polyps.
Behavior: Nocturnal, can change color to blend with their surroundings.
Sexual Dimorphism: Males have longer foreclaws than females, sometimes as long as their bodies.
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific Ocean, from the Red Sea to Hawaii.
Other Names: Eyespot Shrimp, Green Marble Shrimp, Spotted Marbled Shrimp.
Aquarium Suitability: Can be kept in home aquariums, but may eat coral polyps
The sugar cane shrimp, scientifically known as Parhippolyte uveae, is a small shrimp species characterized by its translucent body and distinctive markings. It inhabits caves and anchialine pools in the Indo-Pacific region, including areas like the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. These shrimps are generally peaceful and thrive in reef-style aquariums with plenty of hiding spaces.
Appearance:
Size: They typically grow to about 5 cm in length.
Coloration: The body is red with shades of white
Habitat: They are commonly found in caves, often in shallow coral reef environments, and sometimes in anchialine pools.
Behavior:
Activity: Some populations, like those in Kakaban Island, are photophobic, meaning they are most active at night. Others, like those in the Philippines, are considered "sun-lovers" and are more active during the day.
Diet: Sugar cane shrimp are omnivores, preferring meaty foods like brine shrimp, mysis, and phytoplankton.
Temperament: They are generally peaceful and safe for reef and fish-only aquariums.
Other Names:
They are also known as the Red Sugar Cane Shrimp or Red Prawn.
Aquarium Care:
Tank Size: A 10-gallon tank is generally recommended.
Environment: They do well in reef or fish-only aquariums and are coral and fish safe.
Acclimation: Shrimp are sensitive to changes in salinity, so proper acclimation is important.
The Saron inermis, also known as the Pinecone Marble Shrimp, is a small, colorful shrimp found in tropical Indo-Pacific reefs. They are characterized by their prominent rostrum, banded legs, and opaque white spots on their abdomen. They are typically found lurking in rocky crevices during the day and emerge at night to forage.
Key features of Saron inermis:
Appearance:
They have a translucent body with a mix of white, green, brown, and red coloration, which helps them camouflage in their environment. They grow to about 1.6 to 2 inches (4-5 cm).
Habitat:
They inhabit tropical reefs, specifically in the Indo-Pacific region.
Behavior:
They are solitary and likely territorial, with males sometimes engaging in ritualistic combat using elongated legs. They are known to be omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal matter.
Aquarium keeping:
They are popular in the aquarium trade due to their unique appearance. They are relatively easy to care for in an aquarium, with a recommended tank size of at least 11 gallons (50 liters).
Reproduction:
They are gonochoric, meaning they have separate sexes. Mating involves a precopulatory courtship ritual using olfactory and tactile cues, with indirect sperm transfer.
The Saron rectirostris, commonly called the Purple Leg Shrimp, is a species of shrimp in the family Hippolytidae. It is a reef-safe species known for its unique coloration and elongated legs, particularly in males, used for ritualistic combat. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region, often lurking in rocky crevices during the day and emerging at night to forage and interact.
Physical Characteristics:
Coloration: They are typically white with pale brown patches, featuring purple legs and tail.
Cirri: Males have tufts of cirri (feathery appendages) on their back.
Legs: The first pair of walking legs in males are elongated.
Size: They can grow to about 2.5 to 5 cm (approximately 1 to 2 inches).
Translucency: Their bodies are somewhat translucent with various shades of white, green, brown, and red.
Behavior and Ecology:
Habitat: Found on Indo-Pacific reefs, hiding in rocky crevices during the day.
Nocturnal: They emerge at night to feed and interact.
Solitary: Generally solitary and likely territorial.
Ritualistic Combat: Males engage in ritualistic combat using their elongated legs.
Aquarium Keeping:
Reef Safe:
Generally considered reef safe, but should be kept with other small, reef-safe species.
Acclimation:
They require slow acclimation (4-8 hours) and may lie motionless initially.
Diet:
They are omnivores and will eat a variety of foods.
Water Parameters:
They are intolerant of copper and high nitrates, and require iodine for molting.
Hymenocera picta, commonly known as the harlequin shrimp, is a species of saltwater shrimp found at coral reefs in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is usually considered the only species in the genus Hymenocera, but some split it into two species: H. picta from the central and east Pacific, where the spots are deep pinkish-purple with a yellow edge, and H. elegans from the Indian Ocean and west Pacific, where the spots are more brownish and have a blue edge. They reach about 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, live in pairs, and feed exclusively on starfish, including crown-of-thorns starfish. They do seem to prefer smaller, more sedentary starfish, but as these generally are not sufficiently numerous for their needs, they commonly attack crown-of-thorns starfish, both reducing its consumption of coral while under attack, and killing it within a few days.
Description
The harlequin shrimp is usually cream colored or white with occasional spots. Around the Pacific Ocean, many of these shrimp have red spots, while the Indian Ocean shrimp typically have purple spots; the Hawaiian H. picta has purple and red spots on its body, the shrimp has two walking legs on each side and large claws, or chelipoda. The claws and eyes appear to look flattened and thin. On its head, the shrimp has "petal-like sensory antennules" to smell out prey. Its body usually reaches up to 5 cm (2 in), and the male is slightly smaller than the female.
Habitat
These shrimp are typically found in Hawaii through the Indo-Pacific below the intertidal zone on coral reefs. They prefer temperatures of 72–82°F, but are very rare because of the changing coral reefs.
Diet
Harlequin shrimp usually only feed on starfish. They are very skilled at flipping over a slow starfish on its back, and eating the tube feet and soft tissues until it reaches the central disk. They, usually one female and one male, use their claws to pierce the tough skin and feeding legs to help them maneuver the starfish. Sometimes, the starfish will shed the arm that the shrimp attacked and regrow it, but it is usually too wounded to regrow. They may also feed on sea urchins, because they have tube feet, as well, but that is rare and only if starfish are not available.
Behavior/reproduction
The harlequin shrimp moves at a very slow pace and in waves. It also may have toxins from its prey (the starfish), which could make it distasteful and potentially dangerous for predators. The shrimp also moves its claws almost constantly. Females are larger and have colored abdominal plates unlike the males. The female produces between 100 and 5,000 eggs per season depending on environmental factors. The male and female are often seen together in the wild, and work together to not only reproduce, but also to forage.
Lysmata amboinensis is an omnivorous shrimp species known by several common names including the Pacific cleaner shrimp. It is considered a cleaner shrimp as eating parasites and dead tissue from fish makes up a large part of its diet. The species is a natural part of the coral reef ecosystem and is widespread across the tropics typically living at depths of 5–40 metres (16–131 ft).
Lysmata amboinensis can reach a body length of 5–6 centimetres (2.0–2.4 in) and have long white antennae. Mature shrimp are pale in colour with longitudinal bands on their carapace; one central white band with wider scarlet red bands on either side. The shrimp has a long larval stage and unusual sexual maturation, initially being male but becoming a functional hermaphrodite once mature.
Lysmata amboinensis is popular in home and public aquaria where it is commonly referred to as the skunk cleaner shrimp; this is due to its striking colours, peaceful nature, and useful symbiotic cleaning relationship which can also be witnessed in captivity.
Adult shrimp can reach a body length of 5–6 centimetres (2.0–2.4 in) with two pairs of long white antennae. The body and legs are pale amber in colour with longitudinal bands on the carapace: one central white band is flanked by wider scarlet red bands. There are several symmetrical white spots on the red tail. The most anterior antennae fork into two making the shrimp appear to have three pairs of antennae. As with all decapods there are 10 pairs of walking legs, with the most anterior pair having forceps (pincers). Anterior to the walking legs are a pair of white maxillipeds used for feeding. Underneath the thorax behind the walking legs are paired pleopods (swimmerets) used for swimming and brooding eggs.[Lysmata amboinesis have a pair of stalked eyes though experiments suggest they have coarse vision and are colour blind; this low spatial resolution makes it unlikely they can see the striking patterns of other shrimps or tropical fish.
Distribution and habita
Lysmata amboinensis is native to coral reefs across the tropics including the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They live on tropical coral reefs between depths of 5–40 metres (16–131 ft) and are typically found in caves or reef ledges.
Life cycle
Lysmata amboinesis lay eggs which the adult shrimp keep attached to their pleopods. The early larvae are called nauplii which hatch into more developed larvae called zoeae and go through a free-floating planktonic stage. During this time they feed on other plankton and moult through 14 identified stages growing to approximately 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in length over 5–6 months. At this point the larvae will settle and metamorphose into a more mature form, though not yet the adult state. This is achieved after several moults which occur every 3–8 weeks.
Each shrimp starts out as a male, but after a few moults will become a hermaphrodite allowing them to function as both male and female in interactions with another shrimp; these shrimp have no pure female form. This form of sexual maturation is scientifically described as 'protandric simultaneous hermaphroditism' and is unique to Lysmata shrimp amongst other decapod crustaceans. In one spawning, adult shrimp will lay between 200–500 eggs which are initially attached to the pleopods and are greenish in colour; the eggs swell and lighten in colour before hatching and a few will turn silver on the day of hatching. The eggs hatch around dusk releasing 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) long larvae into the free-floating pelagic zone.
Behaviour
Lysmata amboinesis do not live in large groups, more often in pairs, and while omnivorous it is believed they derive much of their nutrition from cleaning parasites and dead tissue from fish. Their mating behaviour has been observed in captivity where it involves little ritual: a pair of fully mature hermaphroditic shrimp will alternate moulting timing, mating occurs shortly following a moult when one shrimp acting as the male will follow the other acting as the female which will brood the fertilised eggs; when the next shrimp moults the roles, and therefore apparent sex, will reverse.
In captivity L. amboinesis have been seen to be socially monogamous showing such aggression that if they are kept in groups of more than 2 individuals one pair will kill the rest. While they are not generally seen in large groups in the wild it is unknown if they are socially monogamous in their natural environment.
Symbiosis
Lysmata amboinesis, like other cleaner shrimp, has a symbiotic relationship with 'client' fish in which both organisms benefit; the shrimp gain a meal from eating parasites living on large fish and the clients benefit from the removal of parasites. Cleaning organisms including shrimp and fish can congregate in one location on a reef in what is called a "cleaning station" which fish will visit when required; cleaning shrimp perform a rocking dance from side to side to signal their services when fish approach. Removal of parasites under captive conditions happens mainly at night though it is unknown whether this is due to shrimp or host fish behaviour.Additionally, cleaning services provided by the shrimp aid wound healing of injured fish supporting the symbiosis hypothesis. L. amboinesis is also commonly found living in caves with their client fish, such as moray eels, providing the shrimp with protection from predators.
Because of the benefits of cleaner shrimp to the fish they clean, Lysmata amboinensis and other species have been suggested as potentially useful to aquaculture.
Common name
Lysmata amboinesis within the marine aquarium trade is commonly referred to as the skunk cleaner shrimp, white-banded cleaner shrimp or scarlet cleaner shrimp due to its appearance, however this last name is also sometimes used for Lysmata debelius.
In the aquarium
Many species of Lysmata, including L. amboinesis, are commonly kept in salt water aquaria; they are safe and beneficial since they will clean both the tank and fish but not harm corals. For these reasons they are often kept in both home and public aquaria for educational purposes, sometimes in 'touch pools' which allow visitors to put their hand in the water so the shrimp will clean their hand.
Despite significant efforts L. amboinesis remains difficult to culture in captivity, though adults will regularly spawn eggs. The cycle from spawning to adult form takes approximately 6 months during which time the vast majority of larvae die. As such most shrimps sold in the aquarium industry are wild-caught, this has led to concern about the negative effects of their removal on natural reefs though there is currently no evidence of an effect.
Lysmata debelius is a species of cleaner shrimp indigenous to the Indo-Pacific. It is popular in the aquarium trade, where it is known as the fire shrimp, blood shrimp or scarlet cleaner shrimp.
Lysmata debelius grows up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long, with males and functional hermaphrodites appearing similar. It has a red body, with conspicuous white antennae and white tips to the third to fifth pereiopods. There are white dots on the cephalothorax and legs; white dots on the abdomen distinguish L. splendida from L. debelius.]
Lysmata debelius is one of a group of species in the genus Lysmata that has the role of a cleaner shrimp in reef ecosystems, alongside L. amboinensis, L. grabhami and L. splendida.[5] It is a popular aquarium pet.
Lysmata debelius is a hermaphrodite and therefore any two individuals may mate. The hatching of eggs, moulting, and copulation cycle is identical to that of L. wurdemanni, yielding weekly batches of zoeae from each pair.
