species: Synalpheus stimpsonii in Lizard Island Field Guide (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Lizard Island Field Guide > Marine Life > Invertebrates > Shrimps > Synalpheus stimpsonii (gallery)
Synalpheus stimpsonii


©Anne Hoggett: A pair of Synalpheus stimpsonii on crinoid Comanthus suavia on the NE side of Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: A pair of Synalpheus stimpsonii on crinoid Comanthus suavia on the NE side of Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: A pair of Synalpheus stimpsonii on crinoid Comanthus suavia on the NE side of Lizard Island.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda
Family Alpheidae
Genus Synalpheus
Species Synalpheus stimpsonii

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Lizard Island area: all known taxa
Lizard Island Field Guide

Distinguishing features

Always live with crinoids in the family Comatulidae, usually in pairs. Up to 3.5 cm long. The first pair of legs is clawed, very unequal in size, and much larger than the second pair. Colour is extremely variable and matches host crinoid colour.

Caulier et al (2022) found that these shrimp find their host by olfaction of the chemicals that give the crinoids their colour, and the shrimp can lose colour over days if deprived of the crinoid host in aquaria (Caulier et al, 2022).

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Debelius, H. (1999). Crustacea guide of the world. 321 pp. Ikan-Unterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt, Germany.

Other references

  • Caulier, G., A. Lourtie, L. Brasseur, J. Mallefet, P. Gerbaux, P. Flammang and I. Eeckhaut (2022). Crinoid anthraquinones as kairomones allowing host selection for the symbiotic snapping shrimp Synalpheus stimpsonii. Chemoecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-022-00368-6. LIRS catalog number 90433.