Will a Harlequin Shrimp eat anything other than starfish?

No. They are obligate echinoderm predators. While they may occasionally take a sea urchin in the wild if desperate, in the aquarium they require a constant supply of starfish to survive. They will not eat standard fish foods.

Are they safe to keep with corals and snails?

Yes, they are 100% reef-safe. They will completely ignore your corals, snails, crabs, and fish. Their predatory instincts are strictly reserved for starfish.

How do I feed them once my Asterina starfish are gone?

You will need to buy larger starfish, such as Chocolate Chip Starfish (Protoreaster nodosus), specifically as food. Some aquarists keep feeder starfish in a separate sump and amputate a single leg at a time to feed the shrimp, as the starfish can regenerate its limbs.

Can I keep more than one Harlequin Shrimp in my tank?

You should only keep them singly or as a bonded male-female pair. Two males or two females will fight, often to the death, over territory.

How can you tell the difference between a male and a female?

Females grow significantly larger than males. Additionally, mature females have large blue spots on the swimmerets (pleopods) under their abdomen, whereas males lack these prominent markings.

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Harlequin Shrimp

Hymenocera picta

A strikingly beautiful, highly specialised marine shrimp renowned for its obligate diet of starfish, making it both a popular pest controller and a demanding pet.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 28 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Hardness: 8 – 12 dGH
Salinity: 1.023 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 3 – 5 cm
Nano reef: 40 litres+
Lifespan: 2 – 3 years
Diet: Obligate carnivore (echinoderms only)
Water flow: Moderate
Preferred setup: Ample live rock with caves, overhangs, and crevices for hiding.

About the Harlequin Shrimp

The Harlequin Shrimp is undeniably one of the most visually stunning invertebrates in the marine hobby. Boasting a creamy white body adorned with large, brightly coloured blotches, and equipped with oversized, leaf-like claws, it looks more like an ornate porcelain figurine than a living crustacean. Aquarists frequently seek them out to eradicate plagues of Asterina starfish in reef aquariums. However, their unique biology comes with a stringent caveat: they will eat nothing else. This makes them a significant commitment once the initial pest problem is resolved.

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Is it right for your tank?

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Where Harlequin Shrimp comes from

Native range

Indo-Pacific, Central Pacific

Countries / regions

Indonesia, Philippines, United States (Hawaii)

Habitat

Coastal and outer coral reefs, often found hiding among coral branches or in rocky crevices at depths of 1 to 30 metres.

The scientific community sometimes splits this genus into H. picta (Hawaii, Central Pacific) and H. elegans (Indo-West Pacific) based on geographical and colour differences, though they are treated identically in the aquarium trade.

Similar species

Bumblebee Shrimp
Gnathophyllum americanum
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Sexy Shrimp
Thor amboinensis

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Peaceful, reef-safe fish that occupy a different area of the tank and pose no threat to the shrimp.
Great
Firefish
Nemateleotris magnifica
Docile and small enough not to view the Harlequin Shrimp as prey.
Great
Sixline Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
Wrasses are natural predators of small crustaceans; while Harlequins are often ignored due to their chemical defences or size, hungry wrasses may still harass them.
Compatible with caution
Longnose Hawkfish
Oxycirrhites typus
Hawkfish are ambush predators that naturally feed on small shrimp and will likely consume the Harlequin.
Not recommended
Chocolate Chip Starfish
Protoreaster nodosus
This is entirely incompatible as a tank mate because the shrimp will actively hunt, dismember, and eat it.
Not recommended

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