Donald Duck Shrimp
Leander plumosus
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Palaemonidae
- Genus
- Leander
- Species
- Leander plumosus
The Donald Duck shrimp (Leander plumosus) is a slender, translucent shrimp with a long, upturned snout that gives it a duck-like profile. Its glassy body is marked with fine red, purple and white lines and spots, and its rostrum has feathery edges.
It grows to about 2-3 cm and lives among algae, seagrass and hydroids, where its transparency makes it hard to see. It feeds on small particles and tiny invertebrates.
In the Philippines it is a favourite subject for macro photographers, found on algae and rubble on sandy slopes. Its comical face is unmistakable once spotted.