Starfish Shrimp

The Starfish Shrimp, scientifically known as Zenopontonia soror, is a small and fascinating marine creature found throughout the 🌊 Indo-Pacific Ocean. This species is particularly adapted to life alongside starfish, which serve as their hosts. The appearance of the Starfish Shrimp varies significantly depending on the coloration of the host starfish. They can appear in shades of brown, yellow, white, blue, purple, or reddish, often adorned with small spots and a distinctive white stripe running along their back.

This shrimp species grows to an average length of about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches), and it is characterized by a robust, downward-curving rostrum featuring 10 to 11 teeth on its upper side. Their ability to blend with their host starfish makes them quite adept at avoiding predators. For instance, when living on the blue starfish Linckia laevigata, they take on a blue hue. Similarly, on Acanthaster starfish, they adopt a vivid red color with a lighter streak, illustrating their remarkable adaptability.

Zenopontonia soror inhabits the shallow waters of coral reefs, residing at depths of up to 30 meters (approximately 100 feet). Their geographical range extends from the 🌊 Red Sea to locations like 🇳🇨 New Caledonia (🇫🇷 Overseas France), 🇵🇫 French Polynesia, Mayotte, and Reunion. These shrimps are typically found on the underside of their starfish hosts. While Acanthaster starfish are a preferred host, these shrimps can also be found on other starfish species such as Culcita, Choriaster, Protoreaster, Eundefinedster, Halityle, and Linckia.

The Starfish Shrimp identifies potential hosts through chemical cues in the water. Although they do not remain permanently on a single starfish, they actively seek out another starfish of the same species if separated from their initial host. In some cases, as many as fifty individual shrimps have been observed on a single host starfish. These shrimps benefit from the protective presence of their often-carnivorous hosts while feeding on the mucus the starfish secrete.