schia and Stichopus), mantis shrimps of the family Lys-iosquillidae (“spearers,” for example Lysiosquillina spp.),
nudibranchs (Nudibranchia, such as Risbecia tryoni or
Hexabranchus sanguineus), and even sea stars (for example, Linckia laevigata), and the fascinating thing about
this is that the coloration of these little shrimps adapts
completely to the host in question. For example, it becomes completely blue when it lives on Linckia laevigata.
Long Arm Shrimp, Periclimenes tenuipes
However, it cannot be assumed that such a far-reaching
adaptation to a particular host animal is reversible, and
there are likely to be problems if these shrimps are imported for the aquarium hobby without their specific
hosts.
There is considerable debate as to whether the relationship between Periclimenes shrimps and sea anemones is symbiosis or commensalism for the benefit of the
shrimp. While aquarium observations
rather support the latter, some scientific
studies have concluded that the relationship is a true symbiosis (Fautin et al.,
1995).
Genus StenopuS
The genus Stenopus has mainly the Banded Coral Shrimp (S. hispidus) to thank
for being well known, as the species is
one of the shrimps most frequently imported for the aquarium hobby. Because
it can grow very large ( 6–8 inches/15–20
cm) and is sometimes inclined to aggressive behavior, it is really not suitable for
smaller nano aquariums. It isn’t widely
known, however, that the genus also includes a large number of other species,
many of which attain only a few centimeters in length. These smaller species
are eminently suitable for maintenance
in the nano reef aquarium, as well as
being peaceful inhabitants for larger domestic reefs. Those particularly deserving
of mention here include S. cyanoscelis,
