Marble Shrimp

Care at a glance

Overview

Reef safe with caution, and honestly closer to not reef safe in a lot of keepers' experience. It's an opportunistic omnivore that will pick at coral polyps, zoanthids, and clam mantles if it decides they're food, especially in a tank without enough meaty food or pods to hunt at night. Nocturnal and shy at first, needing a dark hide to settle into before it starts wandering the tank after lights out. Peaceful toward fish and usually left alone by tankmates.

In the wild

Ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa through the Persian Gulf, India, and Southeast Asia to Australia and Hawaii, with occasional records from the Mediterranean. Lives in coral rubble in lagoons and on reef flats from the shallows down to about 37 m. Wants rockwork with dark hiding spots to retreat to during the day.

Good to know

Named for its mottled, marbled coloring, which can run red, blue, or brown depending on the individual, and shifts to deep red at night to help it blend into shadow while foraging. Hairy looking tufts of setae along its back and legs, denser on females, give it the 'monkey shrimp' nickname. A hunched body shape and long, spiny antennae round out the look.

Did you know

Its dramatic day to night color change, brown with green flecks by day, deep red after dark, is a genuine camouflage switch and not just a trick of aquarium lighting.

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