Discovered since 1852, herlequin shrimp is considered one of the most formidable assassins for starfish.
Harlequin shrimp has a scientific name, Hymenocera picta .
This is a saltwater shrimp that lives in coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific regions.
It is often considered the only species in the genus Hymenocera.
But some people divided it into two species: H. picta in the center and east of the Pacific, characterized by a pinkish-purple body with a yellow edge, and H elegans in the Indian Ocean and Western Thailand. Binh Duong, characterized by more brown notes and blue edges .
The body of this species is about 5cm long.
They live in pairs and eat starfish, including starfish.
They like to eat small starfish and move less.
Harlequin shrimp even eat Acanthaster starfish (the second largest starfish in the world, after the sunflower starfish).
