Common hairy shrimp
Phycocaris simulans
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Hippolytidae
- Genus
- Phycocaris
- Species
- Phycocaris simulans
The common hairy shrimp (Phycocaris simulans) is a minute, algae-covered shrimp that is so well camouflaged it looks like a speck of drifting debris.
Usually just 3-5 mm long, its body is covered in fine hair-like setae that collect algae and detritus, giving it a brown to reddish, fuzzy appearance. It clings to algae, hydroids and rubble, rocking gently with the surge.
Hairy shrimp are a classic muck-diving find in the Philippines, but spotting one takes sharp eyes, patience and usually a magnifying lens or a very good guide.