Harlequin Shrimps live a relatively reclusive life style, hiding among reef crevices. Their highly distinctive color pattern, flag-like antennae, and broad extensions on the ends of the first walking legs, which bear the pincers, make them easy to identify. This spectacular shrimp usually occurs in pairs, and males are almost always smaller than females. The genus Hymenocera was formerly believed to consist of two species, Hymenocera picta form the Pacific and Hymenocera elegans form Indian Ocean. However, the two are now considered to represent a single species, which varies in color depending on locality. Animals from the Pacific tend to have brighter red markings. The distributional range extends from Panama to East Africa and Red Sea. Surprisingly, this 5 cm-long (2 in) shrimp feeds exclusively on several species of starfish, including the crown-of-thorns. It eats the starting from the tip of the leg and works towards the central disk, keeping its victim alive and fresh as long as possible.
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