Zenopontonia soror | |
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Starfish shrimp on a Culcita schmideliana | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Crustacea |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Caridea |
Family: | Palaemonidae |
Genus: | Zenopontonia |
Species: | Z. soror |
Binomial name | |
Zenopontonia soror | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Zenopontonia soror, the starfish shrimp or seastar shrimp, [1] is a species of shrimp in the family Palaemonidae. It is found in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It lives in association with a starfish, often changing its colour to match that of its host.
Zenopontonia soror is a medium-sized shrimp growing to a length of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in). It has a short, broad rostrum that curves downwards and has ten or eleven teeth on its dorsal surface. It is liberally covered with small white spots, the main colour mimicking that of its host starfish; on Linckia laevigata it is blue; on Acanthaster it is two-coloured, bright red with a pale dorsal streak, and on Culcita it is a less-speckled, clear colour, sometimes with a transparent dorsal streak, blue or maroon, or sometimes white, yellow or pale green. It could be mistaken for the imperial shrimp (Zenopontonia rex), but that species uses a sea cucumber or large mollusc as a host. [2]
Zenopontonia soror is found in the shallow tropical Indo-Pacific region, its range extending from the Red Sea to New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mayotte and Reunion. It occurs on coral reefs at depths down to about 30 m (100 ft).
Zenopontonia soror is always found in association with a starfish, usually on the undersurface. Acanthaster seems to be its favourite host, but it has also been found on Culcita, Choriaster , Protoreaster , Echinaster , Halityle and Linckia , and it may also be associated with other starfish species. [2] The shrimp appears to recognise a potential host by chemical cues in the water. It does not necessarily remain on a single starfish permanently, but if separated from its host, will search for another starfish of the same species. Up to about fifty individual shrimps have been found on a single host; the shrimps feed on mucus secreted by the starfish and benefit from the protection from predation provided by its carnivorous host. [3]
Linckia laevigata is a species of sea star in the shallow waters of tropical Indo-Pacific.
Culcita novaeguineae is a species of starfish. It has short arms and an inflated appearance and resembles a pentagonal pincushion. It is variable in colour and can be found in tropical warm waters in the Indo-Pacific.
Culcita is a genus of cushion stars. They are found in tropical waters. Some are kept in home aquariums.
Culcita schmideliana, commonly known as the spiny cushion star, is a species of pin-cushion star. It has a variety of base colors and often patches of a different color. It is pentagonal in shape and lives in the tropical Indo-Pacific. This species is rarely kept by hobby aquarists.
Choriaster is monotypic genus in the family Oreasteridae containing the single species Choriaster granulatus commonly known as the granulated sea star. Other common names include big-plated sea star and doughboy starfish. This species is harmless to humans.
Acropora nasuta is a species of branching stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is native to the western and central Indo-Pacific where it is found in shallow reef habitats. Like other corals of the genus Acropora, it is susceptible to coral bleaching and coral diseases and the IUCN has listed it as being "Near Threatened".
Acropora acuminata is a species of acroporid coral found in Australia, the Red Sea, the central Indo-Pacific, Japan, the northern Indian Ocean, the East China Sea, southeast Asia, and the western Pacific Ocean. It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching, the crown-of-thorns sea star, and harvesting for the aquarium trade. It is found on shallow coral reefs from depths of 5–20 m. It was described by Verrill in 1864.
Acropora muricata, commonly called staghorn coral, is a species of acroporid coral found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Australia, central Indo-Pacific, Japan, Southeast Asia, the East China Sea and the oceanic central and western Pacific Ocean. It is found in tropical shallow reefs, slopes of reefs, and in lagoons, from depths of 5 to 30 m. It was described by Dana in 1846.
Acropora granulosa is a species of acroporid coral found in the northern and southwest Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, Australia, the East China Sea, Japan, the oceanic central and western Pacific Ocean, and the central Indo-Pacific. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs, from depths of between 8 and 40 metres. It was described by Milne Edwards in 1860 and is classified as near threatened by the IUCN.
Acropora monticulosa is a species of acroporid coral found in the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It is also found in the Tuamotus. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs on upper slopes, from depths of 1 to 12 metres. It was described by Brüggemann in 1879.
Acropora subglabra is a species of acroporid coral found in the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs, and its range is often restricted to sheltered back reefs containing soft substrates and clear water. It can be found from depths of 5 to 15 metres and was described by Brook in 1891.
Acropora tenuis is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest, northwest and northern Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs on upper slopes and in subtidal habitats, at depths of 8 to 20 metres.
Acropora valida is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwestern, northwestern and northern Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea, the oceanic western, central and far eastern Pacific Ocean, the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs in a variety of reef habitats, at depths of 1 to 15 metres.
Acropora vaughani is a species of acroporid coral found in the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic western and central Pacific Ocean. It is also found in Madagascar. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs around fringing reefs in turbid water, at depths of between 3 and 20 metres. It was described by J. W. Wells in 1954.
Acropora microclados is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1834. Found in marine, tropical shallow reefs on the upper slopes, it is found at depths of 5 to 20 m. It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and its population is decreasing. It is uncommon but found over a large area, including in five regions of Indonesia, and is classified under CITES Appendix II.
Echinaster luzonicus, the Luzon sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Echinasteridae, found in shallow parts of the western Indo-Pacific region. It sometimes lives symbiotically with a copepod or a comb jelly, and is prone to shed its arms, which then regenerate into new individuals.
Periclimenes, commonly known as glass shrimp or cleaner shrimp, is a commensal and often symbiotic genus of semi-transparent shrimp within the family Palaemonidae. Species of this large genus feature a wide variety of coloration and patterns, widespread distribution throughout much of the world's tropical oceans, and are often sought out for aquarium trade.
Zenopontonia rex, the emperor shrimp or imperial shrimp, is a species of shrimp in the family Palaemonidae. It is found in shallow water in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It lives in association with a sea cucumber, a nudibranch or other large mollusc, often changing its colour to match that of its host.
Zenopontonia is a genus of shrimp within the family Palaemonidae.
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