Description
Bubble Coral Shrimp or Coleman's Coral Shrimp Palaemonella philippinensis (former Vir philippinensis) occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea to the Philippines, to Japan and Australia in a depth range from 7-30m, max. length 2cm. The species was first described in 1984, and this is remarkably late, as the species is seen well and quite often. Rarely, however, do you see the whole animal from the side. Most of the time at least half is hidden in the coral. This specimen changed position and the photographer was there at the right moment. As Cleaner Shrimps they are waving their antennae, they signal their presence to the fish so that they can benefit from their essential cleaning service: deworming. Coleman's Coral Shrimp is transparent, so a blood vessel can be seen running through the back as well as all of its internal organs, even its eggs, when they are present, in the abdomen. The legs and claws, also transparent, are dotted with fine purplish blue horizontal spots at the joints, sometimes with a thin purple line at the end. The white and black stalked eyes are supplied by two small blood vessels. Plerogyra sinuosa can inflict a painful sting and provide protection for the organism as a whole, but Coleman's Coral Shrimps gain protection among stinging tentacles of his Bubblecoral Plerogyra sinuosa. Triton Bay, Westpapua, Indonesia 3°56'19.7539 S 134°7'15.1967 E at 15m depth
