Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Hymenocera elegans, Clown shrimp, Painted shrimp, Elegant harlequin shrimp
Family
Palaemonidae (formerly Hymenoceridae / Gnathophyllidae)
Origin
Tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Hawaii across the Indo-Pacific; coral reefs below the tide line
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
5 cm
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
SG 1.023–1.025, dKH 8–12
Care level
expert
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

The harlequin shrimp is one of the most striking reef shrimps: a cream or white body with large coloured spots and big, flat, petal-like claws that are for display rather than hunting. It grows to about 5 cm, males slightly smaller than females. It moves slowly, in a rocking, wave-like way, its claws waving almost constantly. Names: some authorities split the Indian Ocean and western Pacific form off as Hymenocera elegans (brownish spots edged blue, or light blue spots) and keep H. picta for the central Pacific and Hawaiian form (pinkish-purple or red spots edged yellow). Many shrimp sold under either name are H. elegans; others treat both as one species. Feeding is the challenge: it eats almost nothing but starfish. A pair attacks a starfish from the arm tip towards the centre, flips it and eats the tube feet and soft tissue, and the star usually dies even if it drops the arm. Before buying, be sure you can supply starfish for life. Keepers feed small Linckia or Asterina to juveniles and pieces of common starfish (Asterias rubens) to adults; some keep them to wipe out a plague of pest Asterina, but when those run out the shrimp still need feeding. They rarely take sea urchins if no stars are available. Set-up: a reef or nano reef with caves and ledges, moderate light and stable water. Keep as a mated pair; the pair forage and breed together. Not tolerant of high nitrate. Correct, stable iodine supports clean moults, and LiveAquaria suggests maintaining calcium, magnesium and trace elements. Water: 22–26 °C (wild reefs to about 28 °C), pH 8.1–8.4, SG 1.023–1.025, dKH 8–12. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most other invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding this animal, and read the label of any treatment, fertiliser or algae remover before use. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/harlequin-shrimp); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenocerapicta). Checked October 2026.

Diet

An obligate starfish eater (echinoderms). Feed a piece of starfish or a small whole star every few days; one medium star can feed a pair for a week or two. Keep spare stars in a separate tank or freeze pieces. Asterina and small Linckia suit juveniles. They will not take ordinary frozen or dry foods.

Breeding

Lives in male–female pairs. Females are larger and have coloured plates on the underside of the abdomen. A female can lay from 100 to 5,000 eggs per season, carried under the tail until they hatch into planktonic larvae. Pairs spawn in aquariums, but raising the larvae is hard and needs a separate larval set-up; a few have been tank-raised.

Compatibility and tank mates

Harmless to corals, fish and most invertebrates, but it will kill any starfish in the tank, including Linckia, chocolate chip, sand-sifting and serpent stars (brittle stars are usually left alone). Avoid large wrasses, hawkfish, triggers and other fish that eat shrimp. Keep only one pair per tank.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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