Mitchell
February 27th, 2002, 10:58 PM
I do not own this beautiful little critter but I saw one for sale at a LFS.
The reason I wanted to highlight him is because the Harlequin Shrimp needs special care and I want people to be aware of them.
They are a fantasic looking animal wich would make an apealing addition to your tank but beware.
It eats Echinoderms , so unless you have no stars in your tank and plan on buying linckia's or chocolate chip stars( it's favorites) for food then leave him in the store.
Wich brings me to my next point. There was only one in the store.
To achieve a better success rate with them they must be bought in a male female pair.
Family: Gnathophyllidae
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Size: Up to 1 inch
Diet: Carnivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Temperament: Peaceful
Venomous No
Care Level: Moderate
When hunting prey they use their flattened pincers to disable their prey. The shrimp grabs the starfish's arm with its legs then raises itself up on its pincers, which act as levers. It then flips the star onto its back and accesses the inner tissues by munching on the soft tube feet. They also use their pincers to saw off tough bits of the prey and for display purposes.
To sex this bad boy the female has blue tipped abdominal legs, while the legs of the male are transparent.
The reason I wanted to highlight him is because the Harlequin Shrimp needs special care and I want people to be aware of them.
They are a fantasic looking animal wich would make an apealing addition to your tank but beware.
It eats Echinoderms , so unless you have no stars in your tank and plan on buying linckia's or chocolate chip stars( it's favorites) for food then leave him in the store.
Wich brings me to my next point. There was only one in the store.
To achieve a better success rate with them they must be bought in a male female pair.
Family: Gnathophyllidae
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Size: Up to 1 inch
Diet: Carnivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Coral or rock, plants
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Temperament: Peaceful
Venomous No
Care Level: Moderate
When hunting prey they use their flattened pincers to disable their prey. The shrimp grabs the starfish's arm with its legs then raises itself up on its pincers, which act as levers. It then flips the star onto its back and accesses the inner tissues by munching on the soft tube feet. They also use their pincers to saw off tough bits of the prey and for display purposes.
To sex this bad boy the female has blue tipped abdominal legs, while the legs of the male are transparent.