The glass cleaner shrimp (Urocaridella antonbruunii), also known as the ghost shrimp, is up to 2.5 cm long and largely transparent. By manipulating the pigment granules in its body, it can blend effectively with its background, providing excellent camouflage. These shrimp are often found in symbiotic relationships with fish, cleaning parasites and dead tissue from their hosts. This not only benefits the fish by keeping them healthy but also provides the shrimp with food. The glass cleaner shrimp is commonly found in sheltered reef environments and is a great sight for divers.
Feeding and Diet
The glass cleaner shrimp mainly eats parasites, dead tissue, and small organic particles it picks off fish during cleaning. This mutualistic relationship benefits both the shrimp and the fish. Apart from cleaning, these shrimp also eat plankton and detritus in the water. They use their small pincers to grab and eat tiny particles floating in the water or settled on the reef. Their varied diet helps them thrive in different reef environments with changing food availability.
Reproduction
Glass cleaner shrimp have fascinating reproductive behaviors. They are hermaphrodites, meaning each individual possesses both male and female reproductive organs. This allows any two individuals to mate and produce offspring, increasing their chances of successful reproduction.
During mating, one shrimp acts as the male and the other as the female. The male transfers a spermatophore to the female, who then fertilizes her eggs internally. She carries the fertilized eggs in her pleopods (swimming legs) until they hatch into larvae.
The larvae are released into the water column and go through several planktonic stages before settling on the reef and developing into juvenile shrimp. This process helps disperse the young and increase their chances of finding suitable habitats to grow and thrive.
Predators
Glass cleaner shrimp are preyed upon by larger fish like snappers and groupers, predatory invertebrates, and reef-dwelling eels, though they use their camouflage and agility to evade these threats. Humans can be predators of glass cleaner shrimp as well. These shrimp are collected for use in aquariums or as bait, which impacts their populations and habitats.
Where to Find Glass cleaner shrimp on Koh Tao
You can spot the Glass Cleaner Shrimp at many dive sites around Koh Tao. They are often found hanging around sheltered spots on the reef, where they offer a free cleaning service. If you gently offer your finger (or teeth), they might even clean it for you!
check out dive sites like:
