Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean
Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow coastal reefs and lagoons and usually seen living with sea stars, urchins, and cucumbers, where it feeds on their legs/feet.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade.
A very shy and small species and possibly best suited for nano aquariums where it will be seen more often than in large systems with many hiding areas.
Requires sufficient hiding places in larger aquariums having more tankmates, as its quite shy.
Like true Harlequin Shrimp, will feed on the legs of starfish/seastars, however, they also feed upon regular meaty foods that are normally used in the trade making them far easier to maintain. Therefore, meaty foods, e.g., small pieces of defrosted clam, fish and/or shrimp flesh, or live adult brine shrimp fed once or twice daily will suffice nicely.
Best maintained without other species of shrimp in the aquarium, and maintain either singly or in mated pairs.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Palaemonidae
Genus: Gnathophyllum
FYI: Makes a nice addition to smaller reef aquaria!
A South African hobbyist reports these shrimp have been observed cleaning fish in the aquarium.
Experience Level: Beginner
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: Shrimp are 'very' sensitive to specific gravity/salinity changes. Therefore, be sure to adjust the bag's water to that of the aquarium in which it will be placed by slowly adding small amounts of aquarium water to the bag every few minutes. In most cases, this process should take at least 15 minutes.