The Harlequin Shrimp does not make jokes
The harlequin shrimp is relatively rare in South African tropical waters. They occur in pairs of male and female and work together to attack their prey. Their only source of nutrition comes from starfish. They are very skilled at flipping over the slow starfish on its back, eating the tube feet and soft tissues until it reaches the central disk. They use their claws to pierce the tough skin and feeding legs to help them manoeuvre the starfish. Sometimes the starfish will shed an arm that the shrimp attacked and later regrows it. The harlequin shrimp may have toxins from its prey (the starfish) which could make it distasteful and potentially dangerous for predators.
Peet J Van Eeden, South Africa, Welgemoed, Cape Town
