Clear Cleaner Shrimp

Urocaridella antonbruunii, commonly known as the clear cleaner shrimp or red-white cleaner shrimp, is a distinctive species within the Palaemonidae family, first described by A. J. Bruce in 1967. These shrimps inhabit the tropical shallow waters of coral reefs, spanning regions from the 🇲🇻 Maldives to 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, the 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, Papua 🇵🇬 New Guinea, 🇫🇯 Fiji, and Hawaii (🇺🇸 United States), typically at depths of 2 to 66 meters (7 to 217 feet).

These shrimps can grow to a length of approximately 25-30 mm (0.98-1.18 inches) and are easily recognized by their long, upward-curving rostrums and transparent bodies adorned with red and yellow spots on the carapace and abdomen. Unique features include a characteristic right angle formed by the abdomen with a red spot followed by a white spot, and banded red and white swimming legs. Their long, transparent antennae distinguish them from many other cleaner shrimp species that typically have white antennae. The shrimp’s internal organs being visibly transparent aid in effective camouflage.

Urocaridella antonbruunii is known for its cleaning behavior, where it removes external parasites from various fish, even cleaning sleeping rabbitfish at night—a unique behavior not reported in other shrimp species. They attract client fish by placing themselves conspicuously near their cleaning station, using rapid movements of their pleopods to appear as if they are hovering. In addition to feeding on parasites and mucus during these cleaning sessions, they also consume copepods, small microorganisms, and debris from the seafloor.

These shrimps are gonochoric, meaning they have separate male and female individuals, and they participate in precopulatory courtship rituals. Their complex behaviors serve both reproductive and ecological roles within their coral reef environments.