Bumblebee Shrimp

The Bumble Bee Shrimp, also known as the Striped Harlequin Shrimp, makes a small but interesting addition to a home aquarium.  They rarely reach more than 1” in length and therefore are suitable for any sized tank.  Their body is either white or pale yellow in colouration and they have horizontal black stripes, giving them their bumble bee like appearance.  Their small claws are used to pick at rocks for food rather than as weapons.  Interestingly they often appear to be headless because their rostrum is very short and directed slightly downward.

This shrimp is native to the Indo-Pacific region and is generally found at shallow depths and can be found on reefs, bays and lagoons.  They spend most of their day searching for food among the rockwork.  Like other shrimp, they require a tank with ample rockwork to provide them with both food and places to hide.  Ideally the aquascape will include multiple small caves and overhangs where the shrimp can retreat to if threatened.  They are generally most active during the night.

In the wild, the Bumble Bee Shrimp feeds on the tube feet of echinoderms such as starfish and sea urchins.  While they do not require these to survive, it is generally not advisable to house them with echinoderms unless they are very well fed in order to reduce the likelihood of them feeding on them.  They can also be fed meaty foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and finely chopped squid or fish.

The Bumble Bee Shrimp can make a great addition to tanks due to their small size as long as their feeding requirements can be met.  It is also important to exercise caution when housing them with certain types of starfish, urchins and other echinoderms as they may consume their tube feet.  Like other invertebrates they are not tolerant of copper based medications and should be acclimatized slowly.