Coleman Shrimps

A pair of Coleman Shrimp at the center for a fire urchin found at the Neptune House Reef between 8m-12m.

Also known as Crustaceans, Carid Shrimps, Commensal Shrimp, Fire Urchin Shrimp, Sea Urchin Shrimp and Toxic Urchin Shrimp.

Found usually in pairs exclusively on the fire urchin -Asthenosoma varium, which in turn is known as the toxic sea urchin. The larger one is the female. The host urchin's spines do not harm the shrimp, but they usually clear an area on the urchin where they perch.

They feed on parasites, algae and plankton. 

• Length - 2cm
• Depth - 5-30m
• Widespread West Pacific

In the creepy and ugly world of much diving and critters Coleman Shrimps (Periclimenes colemani) make a big exception. 

They are very attractive with nice colours, a beautiful pattern and a host that couldn’t be more colourful: The Coleman Shrimp is a commensal shrimp and lives on the Variable Fire Urchin (Asthenosoma varium). While you can also find other hitchhikers on these urchins (like Zebra Crabs, Yellow Squat Lobsters, Fire Urchin Shells, juvenile Fish and others) the Coleman Shrimp exclusively chooses the Variable Fire Urchin. 

The Shrimps grow to about 2cm in size and can easily by identified by their lange brown-red spot pattern on a yellow background. They mostly live in couples and cut the spines of the urchin on a small area on which they live an feed. Very often one or both shrimps have a bump on the side of their carapace – these are not eggs but Isopods … internal parasites that attach to the gills of the shrimp.