Two Harlequin Shrimp in the Kihaa Lagoon
Harlequin Shrimp – what does this name remind you of, a Harlequin Clown in a colourful costume? That is exactly how this shrimp got its name – it has a uniquely orange, white and purple coloured body. Not many divers have ever seen it and guess where and how we found it. Margherita discovered the 2 Harlequin shrimp at the entrance of our lagoon while night snorkelling in about 1,5m of depth.
Some Harlequin Shrimp facts, that you probably didn’t know:
- they can reach up to 5 cm in size
- they live in pairs
- the female is just a little bigger then the male
- favourite food: star fish, crown of thorns and if they are very hungry a sea urchin
- they keep a lair and hunt together and drag small starfish back to their lair
- they flip the starfish on its back and start eating the feet and soft tissue
- they have razor sharp claws
Seeing a whaleshark, dolphins, mantas, ghostpipe fish or a frog fish also ranks very high in terms of excitement but this little shrimp is so rare that we are absolutely thrilled to have found a pair right here. We hope that they are happy with their new home in the Kihaa lagoon and will stay for some time as we love to go and watch these two going about their business of catching starfish at night. If you would like to meet them and other creatures of the night, join us on our weekly nightsnorkeling or night diving experiences.
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