Banded cleaner shrimp

Lore & Background

Stenopus hispidus reaches a total length of 60 mm and has striking coloration. The ground color is transparent, but the carapace, abdomen, and large third pereiopod are banded red and white. The antennae and other pereiopods are white, and the abdomen, carapace, and third pereiopods are covered in spines. It has the ability to detect individuals of its species, an uncommon trait in invertebrates likely explained through chemical signals. Its range is pan-tropical, extending into temperate areas across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Atlantic habitats include Canada, West Africa, Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico. In the Indian Ocean it is found near Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Pacific habitats range from Eastern China down to Australia, as far south as Sydney and New Zealand. It lives below the intertidal zone on coral reefs at depths up to 210 m. This species is a cleaner shrimp that advertises to passing fish by slowly waving its long, white antennae. It performs a dancing behavior, staying close to its home in the reef and whipping out its antenna as it moves side to side. This behavior, first observed in a lab, signals to fish that it is ready to feed and clean. It uses its three pairs of claws to remove parasites, fungi, and damaged tissue from fish. Stenopus hispidus is monogamous, with females typically larger than males, and they occupy a territory 1–2 meters in diameter.

Reader's Guide

Stenopus hispidus is a cleaner shrimp that plays a specific role in the reef ecosystem by removing parasites, fungi, and damaged tissue from fish. It advertises its cleaning services through a dancing behavior, staying near its home and waving its long white antennae side to side. This behavior, first observed in a lab, signals to fish that the shrimp is ready to feed and clean. The species is monogamous, with females typically larger than males, and each pair occupies a territory 1–2 meters in diameter. In the aquarium trade, it is known by common names such as coral banded shrimp, banded boxer shrimp, and banded cleaner shrimp. Its striking red-and-white banded coloration and relatively small maximum size of 60 mm make it a visually notable species. The shrimp lives below the intertidal zone on coral reefs at depths up to 210 m and has a pan-tropical distribution extending into temperate areas. It has the ability to detect individuals of its species, likely through chemical signals, an uncommon trait among invertebrates.

Did You Know?

• It performs a dancing behavior, whipping its antenna side to side, to signal fish that it is ready to clean.
• Females are typically larger than males, and the species is monogamous, occupying a territory 1–2 meters in diameter.