Simplex Shrimp

Phyllognathia simplex

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Palaemonidae
Genus: Phyllognathia
Species: Phyllognathia simplex

The simplex shrimp (Phyllognathia simplex) is a tiny, stocky shrimp related to the spiny tiger shrimp, with a smoother body and banded colours. Its name 'simplex' refers to its simpler, less spiny form.

It is usually under 1 cm long and, like its relatives, is thought to feed on the tube feet of echinoderms. It hides under rocks and rubble by day and becomes more active at night.

In the Philippines it is a rare find on rubble slopes, usually spotted by careful searching with a torch on night dives.