Bubble Coral Shrimp by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/2500, F5.6, ISO6400

Bubble Coral Shrimp are found all over Indo West Pacific, this one was shot at Balicasag. They grow to about 1.5cm in length, have a transparent body with a purple line and have purple antennae. Also known as Anemone Shrimp, this one is living in a symbiotic relationship with this green bubble coral. They feed on algae, parasites and plankton keeping the bubble healthy and clean.

Bubble Coral Shrimp by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/2500, F5.6, ISO6400

Mushroom Coral Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/200, F4, ISO125

Mushroom Coral Shrimp grow to about 4 cm long. It is redish brown with tranlucent abdomen, long thin translucent claw arms and a ragged white patch on the head. They are usually found in pairs. This one is living in a symbiotic relationship with mushroom corals. They feed on algae, parasites and plankton. This one was shot in Lembeh.

Egg Shell Shrimp by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/125, F9, ISO3200

Egg shell shrimps are some of the tiniest creatures to photograph, they grow up to 2.5 cm and live in depths between 6-30 m. They are found all over the West Pacific. This one was shot in Anilao.

Xenia Swimming Crab by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/100, F13, ISO3200

Xenia Swimming Crabs grow up to 2cm. They are white and brown with wavy stripes on its back, six triangular spines between the eyes and five marginal spines behind the eyes. They live with with Xenia coral. Found in West Pacific, this one was shot in Lembeh.

Spider Squat Lobster by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/125, F8, ISO125

Spider Squat Lobster is also known as Daddy-long-Legs and Spider Crab. spider squat lobsters They are often found living on gorgonian sea fans over coral and rocky reefs. They feed on zooplankton and grow to about 5cm in length, living a depths from 35-as deep as 240m. Widespread acros Indo-West Pacific; this one shot in Manado.

Boxer crab by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/160, F8, ISO200

Pom Pom Crabs hold sea anemones on each of their claws, earning them the nickname pom-pom crabs. These colorful and stinging anemones, attached to their claws, help the coin-size crabs fend off predators. The anemones, in turn, benefit from getting scraps of leftover food from the crab. Unlike most crabs, which have robust claws used for grabbing, eating, and defense, Pom Pom Crabs have claws like little tweezers—the perfect size and shape for holding anemones. When a Pom-Pom crabs lacks an anemone, it will steal one from another crab. Then, both victim and victor split their single anemone into two, creating identical clones, one for each claw.

Emperor Shrimp & Nudibranch Bubble Coral Shrimp by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/250, F10, ISO3200

A good example of commensalism is the relationship between the Imperial Shrimp and a large nudibranch. The shrimp will ride on the nudibranch, receiving transportation. The nudibranch helps serves as a transporter to food sources. The imperial shrimp is able to ride on the nudibranch, getting exposed to larger areas with more potential food sources while using less energy. The Imperial Shrimp is also commonly found riding on sea-cucumbers often with a mate. During the ride, small battles ensue between the two shrimp fighting over the best turf on the nudibranch or sea-cucumber. This bizarre relationship goes unnoticed by the transporter.

Banded Coral Shrimp by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/10, F6.3, ISO400

The Banded Coral Shrimp has striking red and white bands across its body with fairly long pinchers and extra long white antennae. Combined with its prickly body texture, this peaceful member of the Stenopodidae family are known as "Boxing Shrimp" because of the large pinchers on their third set of legs. These pinchers are often held erect and give the Banded Coral Shrimp the appearance of a boxer ready to fight. Though the Banded Coral Shrimp can be aggressive towards other Banded Coral Shrimp and smaller shrimp of different species, most are peaceful towards fish, corals, and invertebrates. Native to the oceans of Indonesia, Stenopus hispidus is perhaps the most widely distributed shrimp in the sea. It usually hangs upside-down in caves or crevices, with only its antennae emerging from the hole. While molting, the Banded Coral Shrimp will often hide from sight for 1-2 days in the rocks of the reef.

Peppermint Shrimp by Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/260, F9, ISO200

Peppermint Shrimp are nocturnal, they prefer groups and will usually all live under the same cave together. While they are part of the Lysmata genus, I find that this species will rarely, if ever clean your fish they don’t seem to act as cleaners. Peppermint shrimp are protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites, like all shrimp of the Lysmata genus. This means that the peppermint shrimp will start off as male, and after molting several times will then become hermaphroditic. Peppermint shrimp are constantly searching for receptive females - males use what are known as olfactory organs on their antenna to detect a female’s sex pheromones in the water. These pheromones are released 2-8 hours prior to female molting. As the male is guided by these chemical signals, they will make their way to the female and mate with her. This always occurs after molting as the female’s exoskeleton is still soft.

Scarlet Skunk Shrimp by Marc Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/100, F4.5, ISO80

The scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp have a lot of personality. These shrimp are generally not afraid of humans, unlike many shrimp species. Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp are also rarely solitary and are quite active during the day. This species is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific, and especially the Red Sea. The scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp will set up cleaning stations. Passing fish will stop by to get cleaned as the shrimp scrutinizes the fish for parasites and decaying organic matter.

Coleman Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/250, F2.8, ISO200

Coleman Shrimp live on the Variable Fire Urchin. You can also find other hitchhikers on these urchins (like Zebra Crabs, Yellow Squat Lobsters, Fire Urchin Shells, juvenile Fish and others), however the Coleman Shrimp exclusively chooses the Variable Fire Urchin. The shrimps grow to about 2cm in size and can easily by identified by the lange brown-red spot pattern on a yellow background. They mostly live in couples and cut the spines of the urchin on a small area on which they live an feed. Very often one or both shrimps have a bump on the side of their upper shell – these are not eggs but internal parasites that attach to the gills of the shrimp.

Sarasvati Anemone Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent TG4: 1/80, F18, ISO400

Sarasvati Anemone Shrimp was named after the Hindu goddess of the arts. The Sarasvati anemone shrimp has purple-edged white spots on its transparent body. Its antennae are white and its claws are white with purple stripes. As with some other commensal shrimp species, it has a red band across each eye. Not all anemones host this shrimp. These shrimp serve a cleaning function.

Pederson's Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/200, F5.6, ISO320

Pederson's shrimp is a small transparent shrimp with bluish and violet markings on the body and long white antennae. Pederson's shrimp lives in association with a sea anemone, living amongst the tentacles with impunity. Before it can do this it needs to acclimatise itself to the anemone by progressively pressing its body and appendages against the tentacles for increasing periods of time. After this it is able to move between the tentacles without getting stung but if it is separated from its host for a few days, it will need to repeat the immunizing procedure. Up to 26 shrimps have been found associated with one sea anemone but usually there are just one or two. The shrimp offers cleaning services to passing fish and attracts their attention by lashing its antennae about. Fish visiting the cleaning station will remain stationary while their external parasites are removed and eaten by the shrimp, which even cleans inside the gill covers and the mouth.

White Spot Anemone Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/100, F8, ISO200

White spot Anemone Shrimp have a transparent body except for opaque white bands with red outlines on the shell and segments of the abdomen. The hump on the abdomen and the tail are also white, with blue patches. This species have been known to host corals, anemones, and even jellyfish. This shrimp will do best when they have a host. They will rarely stray away from the anemone or coral and will share their food with their host. Like the Pederson shrimp, the white spot anemone shrimp have to acclimate themselves when they are given a new anemone host. They will progressively rub themselves against the anemone's tentacles for increasing amounts of time. They will repeat this process every time they molt. The shrimp is commonly found on stony coral that look like sea anemone, and sea anemones. They are common to the Western Pacific Ocean at depths of 3 to 29m. If you present your hand they will jump on and start cleaning your skin.

Holthuis’ Anemone Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/200, F7.1, ISO400

Holthuis’ Anemone Shrimp is found living in colonies symbiotically with sea anemones, bubble corals, mushroom corals and certain types of jellyfish over coral and rocky reefs. This 2.5cm creature feeds on algae, parasites and plankton. The colour on the transparent abdomen is boomerang shaped and edged with a darker colour. They have white and purple on the tail and claws. They are widespread in the Indo-Pacific, in depths of 3 - 30m. Often if a diver's hand is near to a cleaner shrimp, they will hop on board and perform a manicure! They are generally respected by other creatures, often sharing burrows and holes and working as housekeepers. They will wave their antennae around to attract customers, they then proceed to clean outside and inside the creatures mouths, gills etc.

Porcelain crabs by Jonathan Broadbent TG4: 1/200, F6.3, ISO200

Porcelain crabs are small, usually with body widths less than 15 millimetres (9⁄16 inch). They share the general body plan of a squat lobster, but their bodies are more compact and flattened, an adaptation for living and hiding under rocks. Porcelain crabs are quite fragile animals, and often shed their limbs to escape predators, hence their name. The lost appendage can grow back over several moults. Porcelain crabs have large chelae (claws), which are used for territorial struggles, but not for catching food. The fifth pair of pereiopods is reduced and used for cleaning. They have large chelae (claws), which are used for territorial struggles, but not for catching food.

Soft Coral Snapping Shrimp by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/2500, F5.6, ISO6400

This shrimp is translucent with white internal organs. It inhabits soft corals, growing to about 2cm in length. The shrimp can snap its claws shut with such force that it creates a vacuum bubble – not air-filled, just empty space – which makes an explosive bang as water then refills it. Snapping shrimps actually have just one big, noisy claw, along with one much smaller. Found all over the Indo West Pacific; this one was shot in Manado.

Candy Crab by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/60, F8, ISO200

Also known as Imitator Crab, it is found mimicking the soft coral it sits on (Dendronephtya), sometimes attaching the coral polyps to its shell for further camouflage over coral and rocky reefs. They feed on plankton caught in the corals. They are 1.5cm long.They are widespread Indo-Pacific, at depths of 1 - 90m. Candy crabs are considered true crabs; they have a short abdomen, 4 walking legs and a pair of clawed arms at the front.

False ClownFish by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/80, F7.1, ISO320

Most false clownfish are orange with three white bands on the head and body. The white bands are outlined in black. Their bodies are a bit more than 7cm long. The tail is rounded and the dorsal fin is lined with 11 spines. False clownfish live in the coral reefs off the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia, as far north as southern Japan. They are found mainly around certain kinds of anemones. The anemone's tentacles have stinging cells called nematocysts that release a toxin when prey or predator touches it. Clownfish, however, develop immunity to the toxin by very carefully touching the tentacles with different parts of their bodies. A layer of mucus builds up, protecting the clownfish from the toxin. The pair forms a symbiotic relationship. The anemone provides protection and leftovers for the clownfish, while the clownfish brings food to the anemone and preens its host, removing parasites.

Banggai cardinalfish by Marc Broadbent ILCE-7M3: 1/160, F9, ISO3200

Banggai cardinalfish populations are concentrated around the shallows of Banggai Islands, off Central Sulawesi, within Luwuk harbor and in the Lembeh Strait. This one was shot in the Lembeh strait,

Whip Coral Shrimp Bubble Coral Shrimp by Jonathan Broadbent DSC-RX100M4: 1/250, F6.3, ISO125

Whip Coral Shrimp are perfectly camouflaged with the coral’s colour and polyp structure. Whip Coral shrimp hardly ever move from their whip coral, so once you have spotted them once, you will able to find them again in the same residence. They also commonly hang out in pairs with the female twice as large as the male up to 1.5cm in length. They feed on parasites, algae and plankton and are only found on black coral. They don’t tend to move much as well, so perfect for macro photography as long as the sea is calm.