Anemone Shrimp Periclimenes brevicarpalis
Nestling among the tentacles of an anemone, the anemone shrimp is safe from attack by predators. It rarely wanders far from its host, surviving by scavenging scraps that the anemone cannot eat. The anemone shrimp may benefit the anemone by removing excess food particles as well as any waste it produces. This type of relationship is called commensalism: one individual in the partnership profits from the liaison and the other comes to no harm. Removed from its host, this shrimp is defenseless. The anemone shrimp belongs to the same family (Palaeomonidae) as the common prawn and so they have several features in common. These include a pair of long, sensory antennae used to sense danger and detect food and a rostrum (the elongated projection of the shell from between the eyes). The anemone shrimp is almost completely transparent, with a few purple and white spots.
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zoom image- Subphylum Crustacea
- Length 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Habitat Shallow water reefs
- Distribution Indian Ocean, western Pacific
