This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 9:28 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Information, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
NOAA Photo Library
These little shrimp (not a true shrimp) are so adorable! Usually found in pairs, they are known to mate for life. (humans could follow the example) The female is easy to identify as her tail is much wider than the male. They are seen ‘hugging’, cleaning each other’s faces, handing each other food and sharing, and just hanging out. They are cleaner animals. That is: they clean parasites, dead tissue, algae, and loose scales from other reef animals. They are even seen hopping into the open mouths of moray eels and cleaning the gums and teeth! Boy, talk about a dangerous job. Although this animal looks like a shrimp and has the word in its name, it is a decapod. Their bodies are covered with short spines, which are their defense. Does anything prey on these little ones? Yes, amazingly one of their main predators is a true shrimp, which we will talk about in a future post.
Will the average snorkeler or SNUBA enthusiast be able to find these animals? Absolutely! They are everywhere busily doing their jobs or just resting. With their very brilliant color patterns they are easy to spot. All you need to do is look for the very long antennae and hold still.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Banded Coral Shrimp ~ `Opae Huna | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
Maui is like heaven on earth! I’d love to live there someday. Thanks for bringing me there and as early as now I am planning my next trip – but this time with my the rest of my family….
September 11th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Banded Coral Shrimp ~ `Opae Huna | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
I needed a break and you were able to deliver! I’m so glad I chose to book a Maui trip. I came back ready to rock the office!…
September 11th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Banded Coral Shrimp ~ `Opae Huna | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
I have been snorkeling for a longtime. But your snorkeling tour of Maui is one of the best I have ever signed up for. Great job guys!…
September 11th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Banded Coral Shrimp ~ `Opae Huna | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
Maui is like heaven on earth! I’d love to live there someday. Thanks for bringing me there and as early as now I am planning my next trip – but this time with my the rest of my family….