The young damselfish at the top of the picture below seemed unafraid of the eel. The next time I visited, however, the shrimp pair were safely nestled in the apartment they share with a yellow-margin moray eel. Careful! I thought as the shrimp approached. One time, I watched one of the shrimp approach a baby spiny lobster, tucked in a crack of the same coral head. Life is harder in the wild, but being at least four years old, my shrimp obviously live in a safe neighborhood with ample food. In aquariums, this species can live five or more years. I’ve been visiting this pair of banded coral shrimp since 2017 after I saw one inching toward a turtle sleeping under a large coral head (below.) Later I found the couple’s nearby coral cave. Note the lower shrimp is missing its left front claw. This is a common occurrence since banded shrimp can drop a claw if trapped or stressed. Last year, I found one of my shrimp missing one of its large front claws. That’s why during my approach, rather than backing into their home to hide, the shrimp step toward me, checking to see if I’m crawling with vermin or dangling damaged skin.Įven with built-in protection, the shrimp, like most reef creatures, live on the edge. When parasites or injured flesh aren’t available, the shrimp scavenge around their neighborhood, eating anything they find, dead or alive. Usually, shrimp are food for fish, but as payment for their services, the shrimps’ carnivorous clients don’t eat them. The shrimp picks and eat parasites from fish and moray eels, and also devours pieces of tissue dangling from injuries. The banded shrimps’ trade is pest control and wound debridement. Although banded shrimp are more active at night, they work days too. The shrimp wave these antennae like flags to let their clients know they’re open for business. To find banded shrimp, fish and eels (and snorkelers ) look for the shrimps’ white antennae, so long they nearly always stick out of the shrimps’ dwelling.
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