Harliquin shrimp question
 

So I picked up a Harley to take care of asterias and I know that it will make short work of them. I am picking up some stars today to ensure he's properly taken care of

I ask what luck people have had feedin frozen pieces or feedin pieces of the star. I also read a artical of some one training them to eat other frozen foods such as hake.

Not all of them will eat frozen, I use to feed mine frozen stars bit since switched to just giving g them fresh chocolate chips.

Better chances of survival in pairs as well.

Careful Harley's eat urchins too!!

they only had one at lfs. Ill buy some small stars and keep in sump

Denny did you notice diff when feeding live vs frozen

I have had a pair for almost 3 years now, hands down my favorite shrimp species. I personally feed live, keep 3-4 choc. chip stars or sand sifters (which ever you can get for cheaper, if you let the LFS know its for a har. usually they are pretty good about it) and just chop off a leg or two every week.

As you make your rounds the starfish will grow back the legs, at the same time they eat all the detritus in your sump.

Never heard of feeding them fish, they are obligate eaters of starfish so I personally don't see it working. If you try come back and let us know how it worked?

Also I'm sure there are multiple species of astrina stars, my har. would only go after the brown/white ones opting to leave the red ones alone.

well i went to live because harleys use sent to hunt , they also have a pairing ritual when its feeding time , i didnt notice anything different when they were eating frozen but with a full live star they do the heirchy thing were one eats and allows the other to eat they meet in the middle.

get a pair , once paired they are together untill death or something else seperates them.


to feed a harlequin on only live asterinas wouldnt last long they clear a tank out fast as they use sent to find their prey.


i dont think harleys would eat fish but they do eat urchins and rare occurances large snails.

by far the coolest shrimp ive lept , very hardy as well :)

Thanks Levi.

That's what I was planning. Have a rotation in sump. I am going to try and find another. Do they change sex or predetermined.

The asterias I have are grey and white. Never caused any harm just need a little control

Appreciated Denny. I love the look of them and will def look for another. I'm hoping I can train them on frozen as my sump is a little small. I also read of Harley's finding there way to sump when stars are kept there

I have a pair mated for sale. Selling for a friend so we guessed at a fair price. Make an offer and you got em. More concerned they go to a good home than getting money back for them.

basically harleys do not move when they have food they sit on their starfish and eat it untill its gone , theres cases of harleys feeding their stars to keep them alive , once the star is gone they sit and chill if more food doesnt come around they then start to wander.

harleys use sent to find their prey and can sense stars in your sump , they are also very crafty and good thinkers they problem solve to get to what they want.


if you want them to not wander keep them well fed.


youll love them buddy very hardy and food being their biggest concern.

also wrasses tend to not pick on harleys same with other predators , its believed harleys take in their preys poison or at the very least toxins so taste bad.

Your very welcome. I'm not 100% on this but if they exhibit the same morphology as other shrimp they should be protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites. Oddly though they choose to fertilize only one partner, very cool to watch. When the breeding cycle occurs one of them will hide for about a week, the other remains out on the hunt.

Are they breed able in captivity. Spawning is one thing but to raise them would be neat.

The genus Lysmata includes bloods, peppermints, skunks, ect while Harlequins are Hymenocera. Not sure if they are the same, couldn't find any information specifically on the Hars.

they breed but im not sure about raising the young though ive never tried or heard of anyone doing it, i never really looked into it though either , they mate right after a molt and molt less than other shrimps we keep.

years ago harleys were something that only came in from time to time and were labled as hard to keep.

I read something on it being completed in Japan in the past but I don't think any efforts are currently in the works.

Much easier to go out and catch em wild :neutral:.

in addition to levi stats:

Harlequin shrimp
Hymenocera picta

These beautiful shrimps have a very specific diet: starfish. Upon finding their prey, they will overturn it to dine on the starfish's delicate tube feet.


Statistics
These are small shrimps, typically 2-5cm (1-2in) in length.


Distribution
They are Indo-Pacific.


Habitat
They live on coral reefs.


Diet
Harlequin shrimps eat starfish. They feed on the tube feet and will occasionally take whole starfish many times larger then themselves. They also feed on sea urchins.


Behaviour
Harlequin shrimps detect their prey using scent. They locate a starfish and prize its arms from the rock. The male and female shrimp overturn the starfish together to disable it. This allows them to feed on its delicate tube feet starting at the tips and working inwards. Sometimes they will take the starfish into a dark recess where they can continue to feed for several days. Some even feed the starfish prey, keeping it alive so that they can dine on it later.
Their extraordinary coloration may serve as a warning to possible predators. It is thought that the shrimps incorporate toxins from their prey, making them bad tasting or potentially dangerous to eat.



Reproduction
Harlequin shrimps are fairly rare. When they encounter a mate, they stay together for life forming monogamous, often territorial, pairs. They mate shortly after the female's moult. The female produces between 100 and 5,000 eggs per season which she tends and cleans until they hatch.


Conservation status
These shrimp are rare and suffer as a result of coral reef damage.