The Harlequin Shrimp, Hymenocera picta, is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic shrimp available to marine aquarists. The beautiful Harlequin, like it’s closest relative the Bongo Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalma), only eats starfish. However, whereas the Bongo Shrimp appears to eat all Ophiuroids aka brittle stars, the Harlequin shrimp so far has only been documented to eat Asteroids, or the more typical starfish species. In recognition of YouTube beginning to suport full 1080p video resolution, we’ve made and uploaded a very close up video of the Harlequin shrimp in full HD for your high definition pleasure. Although the pair above is only about half of their full adult size, they still display all the features and behaviors that make this invertebrate species so fascinating. The female is the larger specimen, and the male is the smaller one.
