Caridean Shrimp

The Caridean Shrimp, specifically Coralliocaris superba, inhabits depths ranging from 1 to 28 meters and can grow up to 1 cm (0.39 in) in size. This species belongs to the genus Coralliocaris, which was established by Stimpson in 1860, and includes eleven commensal shrimp species associated with scleractinian corals in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Coralliocaris superba is notably prevalent across the Indo-Pacific, from the 🌊 Red Sea to 🇵🇫 French Polynesia.

This species can be distinguished from its congeners by its distinctive white carapace, pleon, and eyestalks, complemented by golden-brown pereopods and a tail fan marked with small scattered yellow and black spots. Notably, this specimen displays an atypical speckled-brown coloration, extending to the anterior portion of the third pleonite, while in specimens from other areas, this coloration typically ends at the fourth or fifth pleonite. Unlike some species within the genus, such as Coralliocaris graminea, which possess enlarged chelae enabling the production of clicking sounds, Coralliocaris superba lacks the morphological features necessary to produce such sounds. It is an obligate associate of various Acropora species.

In terms of diet, Coralliocaris superba exhibits a diverse range of feeding habits, including carnivory, scavenging carrion, commensalism, and corallivory, with a diet comprising coral polyps, coral spawn, detritus, insects, mucus, and zooplankton.