Chocolate Shrimp
Periclimenes sp.
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Palaemonidae
- Genus
- Periclimenes
- Species
- Periclimenes sp.
The chocolate shrimp (Periclimenes sp.) is a small, rich brown commensal shrimp whose colour makes it look as if it has been dipped in chocolate. Its translucent legs and pale markings stand out against the deep brown of its body.
Like many Periclimenes, it is only around 1-2 cm long and lives in close association with a host animal on the reef, using it for shelter and feeding on mucus, detritus and tiny particles. It has not yet been formally described, so it is known mainly by its common name.
This shrimp has been found by macro divers in the Philippines, where the huge variety of host animals supports an equally rich community of small commensal shrimps.