Squat/Sexy Shrimp

These tiny shrimps form a commensal relationship with another invertebrate, usually a shallow water sea anemone or mushroom coral. One or several shrimps live among the tentacles of their host, feeding on the tentacle tissue and on the mucus-trapped planktonic particles adhering to it. The female 'carries the fertilised eggs under her abdomen until they are ready to hatch. The zoea larvae pass through several stages and, before undergoing metamorphosis, are attracted by both chemical cues in the water and visual cues which cause them to settle near potential host anemones.