Harlequin Shrimp

Care

Harlequin Shrimps, whilst undoubtedly pleasing to the eye, are not suitable for most set-ups on account of their natural diet of echinoderms. In the wild, they live in shallow reefs and occur almost always in pairs. They are surprisingly well camouflaged against a backdrop of coralline algae covered rubble. Specimens from the Indian Ocean and West Pacific have brownish spots with blue edging and are known as Hymenocera elegans. The populations from the central and Eastern Pacific have deep purple-red spots encircled with yellow and are referred to as H. picta. Many publications still use H. picta as a catch-all name for both types of Harlequin Shrimp; care requirements are largely the same. They are known to feed primarily on common starfish (Asterias rubens), Chocolate Chip starfish (Protoreaster nodosus), Linckia spp., and Fromia spp., and occasionally some sea urchin species. Not only would such a practice be considered completely unethical in the confines of the home aquarium, it would also create pollution and a great deal of mess for the filtration system to deal with, plus it would not be cost effective. The manner in which the starfish are consumed is not pleasant either; the legs are eaten first, with the oral disc left until last "“ during this grisly process the sea star is kept alive as long as possible. However, these shrimp can be very useful in the wild, particularly in areas that find themselves overwhelmed with the destructive, coral-eating Crown of Thorns starfish. Harlequin Shrimp are therefore best avoided for the home aquarium. Unfortunately some stores occasionally find themselves with this unsuitable species for a variety of reasons, such as suppliers shipping them by mistake.

Feeding

Feeds only on live starfish. Will not accept substitutes.

Breeding

These shrimp have been bred in captivity. It is an extremely challenging process that requires much dedication. Females typically carry the eggs for 2-4 weeks before they hatch into larvae (the length of time will be temperature dependent) and these are released into the current, often late at night. The larvae are light receptive which makes them easier to catch in a cup and transfer to a rearing tank (filled with water from the main aquarium). It is important to maintain excellent water quality at all times as the larvae are extremely delicate. Live copepods are needed as a first food.