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Five-spot
anemone shrimp
Periclimenes brevicarpalis
Family Palaemonidae
updated
Aug 10
Where
seen?
This chubby shrimp with black-ringed orange spots on its tail is often
seen in Giant carpet
anemones (Stichodactyla gigantea), Haddon's
carpet anemones (Stichodactyla haddoni), Magnificent
anemones (Heteractis magnifica), Leathery
anemone (Heteractis crispa), Pizza
anemone (Cryptodendrum adhaesivum) on many of our shores.
Usually a pair are seen in one anemone.
Features: To about 4cm. Body almost
transparent, especially the smaller male. Has transparent pincers
with purple bars. The female is often larger and more brightly marked
with more and larger white spots on the back, along the abdomen and
the base of the tail. In both the male and female, the tail has 5
black-ringed orange eyespots. The male may be totally transparent
except for the eyespots on the tail. But some also have a white tail
and a white bar between the eyes like the female.
At low tide, they are more easily spotted at night when they are still
somewhat active. During the day, they often remain hidden under the
anemone.
Sometimes, False
clown anemonefishes (Amphiprion ocellaris) are also found
together with the anemone shrimps on the same anemone. They don't
seem to bother one another.
Does it 'clean' fish? A filefish
was once observed close to an anemone shrimp for some time. Could
it be expecting the shrimp to clean it?
What does it eat? Anemone shrimps
do not appear to eat the host anemone or off the anemone's fluids.
Instead, they are believed to shelter in the anemone for protection
and may feed on left overs. The shrimps have often been seen "hanging"
over the edge of their anemone home with their pincers extended.
Status and threats: Our anemone
shrimps are not listed among the endangered animals of Singapore.
However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, all our snapping
shrimps are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution.
Trampling by careless visitors and over-collection by hobbyists can
also have an impact on local populations. |

Kusu Island, May 07


Five black-ringed orange spots on the tail.
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Five-spot
anemone shrimps on Singapore shores

This filefish appeared to be
presenting itself to the shrimp
Pulau Sekudu, May 05
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'Locked out' of its
sea anemone at low tide!
Kusu Island, Jul 04
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Sometimes, both anemone shrimps and
anemonefishes
share the same anemone.
Pulau Hantu, Jul 07
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References
- Lim, S.,
P. Ng, L. Tan, & W. Y. Chin, 1994. Rhythm of the Sea: The Life
and Times of Labrador Beach. Division of Biology, School of
Science, Nanyang Technological University & Department of Zoology,
the National University of Singapore. 160 pp.
- Jones Diana
S. and Gary J. Morgan, 2002. A Field Guide to Crustaceans of
Australian Waters. Reed New Holland. 224 pp.
- Humann, Paul
and Ned Deloach. 2010. Reef
Creature Identification: Tropical Pacific New World Publications.
497pp.
- Kuiter, Rudie
H and Helmut Debelius. 2009. World
Atlas of Marine Fauna
. IKAN-Unterwasserachiv. 723pp.
- Gosliner,
Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral
Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawai’I
exclusive of the vertebrates
Sea Challengers. 314pp.
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