Emperor Shrimp
Zenopontonia rex
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Palaemonidae
- Genus
- Zenopontonia
- Species
- Zenopontonia rex
The emperor shrimp (Zenopontonia rex) is a colourful shrimp that rides on nudibranchs, sea cucumbers and Spanish dancers, hitching a lift across the reef. Its body is usually orange, red or purple with white edges, often matching its host.
It grows to about 1-2 cm and lives on the surface of its host, feeding on mucus, faeces and particles. It may hop between hosts when they meet, and pairs are sometimes found on large sea cucumbers.
In the Philippines the emperor shrimp is a classic macro find, especially on Spanish dancer nudibranchs and sea cucumbers on sandy slopes. Checking every large sea cucumber is a good way to find one.