Yellow-spotted Cleaner Shrimp

Urocaridella degravei

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Palaemonidae
Genus: Urocaridella
Species: Urocaridella degravei

The yellow-spotted cleaner shrimp (Urocaridella degravei) is a transparent cleaner shrimp marked with yellow and red spots. Described in 2018, it was separated from similar-looking Urocaridella species by its colour pattern and genetics.

It grows to about 2-3 cm and lives in groups under ledges and in caves. The shrimps sway rhythmically to signal to fish, then clean parasites and dead tissue from their visitors.

In the Philippines it can be seen at cleaning stations on reefs. Divers who hold still near a ledge may find these shrimps hopping over to inspect their hands.

Photo: Dan Schofield, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist