The most monstrous 'killer' shrimp in the world

Discovered since 1852, herlequin shrimp is considered one of the most formidable assassins for starfish.

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Harlequin shrimp has a scientific name, Hymenocera picta .

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This is a saltwater shrimp that lives in coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific regions.

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It is often considered the only species in the genus Hymenocera.

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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 .

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The body of this species is about 5cm long.

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They live in pairs and eat starfish, including starfish.

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They like to eat small starfish and move less.

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Harlequin shrimp even eat Acanthaster starfish (the second largest starfish in the world, after the sunflower starfish).