New Harlequin Shrimp eating asterinas *PICS

I just got a harlequin shrimp from blue zoo aquatics to help control my asterina starfish population. I currently have it in a 5.5g until I find and remove my fromia tile star from my 72 gallon so the harlequin doesn't eat it when it goes in. In the 5.5g I have about 5-7lbs of nice purple asterina filled rock for it to munch on. I've had the shrimp since 2/6/10 and it has started to make a small dent in the amount of stars in the tank, but not majorly noticeable. Everytime I see it, he's carrying at least 2 stars. I just wanted to kind of observe it in my 5.5g because its probably going to get lost pretty quick in my display tank.

You can actually see it carrying a couple stars in some of the pics.








Enjoy! I'll try to get some pics with the daylights on too but this thing doesn't seem to be very active during the day. They are said to be more nocturnal. Everytime I flip on the lights when they have been dark he is in the wide open and slowly moves back into his hole. He doesn't really come out of his hole until the daylights turn off, but he still may just be getting comfortable.

 

great pics, i've seen these from time to time at my LFS and never really knew what they ate.

 

Cool. I've known people who've bought them and they wouldn't touch asterinas. Then I had one customer who had a breeding pair and they love asterins. You just never know, do ya?

 

I was also reading the same thing on 3reef, that they wouldn't touch asterinas. But every other site said they would. Strange. Good thing that this guy seems to love them.

 

Kinda like peppermint shrimp. You need to buy a bunch of them because not all of them will eat aptasia.

 

That is so cool,, I want one!!

 

Dude, you suck. JK;D My tank is infested. I used to pluck my asterinas by the hundreds and gave them to the LFS so they could feed their personal Harlequin. Now I just gave up and theirs died. I probably have a couple thousand.

Nobody here had any LFS or reef club) and when I looked online they were small. My LFS can get them but they are all tiny. They have been bugging their distributor for over a month. They finally said screw it. They got two in and put them in their fuge to grow out a bit for me. Right now it's only about 1/2-3/4 of an inch. I'm so tired of my asterinas.

Good pics. Gives me something to look forward to

 

I have been sooooo tempted to get one of these odd balls, but I like my linkia's way too much. Cool pics, thanks for sharing.

~Will.

 

Mine came from Blue Zoo Aquatics. It was $20 and we did a small group buy so shipping was free. Its about an inch. They are said to eat asterinas (my reason for buying) when larger and linckias and chocolate chip stars when younger. I guess mine would be considered mature because its eating asterinas but its only around an inch. Awesome creature though. Really cool in my 5.5g because i can really appreciate its uniqueness. Its going to get lost once it goes in my 72g, probably never even see it considering how nocturnal they are.

 

cna we get some pics with full light spectrum?? i really like these guys!!