Palaemon serenus
Palaemon serenus is a species of shrimp of the family Palaemonidae.[1]
| Palaemon serenus | |
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| Species: | P. serenus |
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| P. serenus | |
This shrimp, most commonly known as Rock-pool Shrimp (aka Red-handed Shrimp), is common as both juveniles and adults on shallow rocky reef in temperate marine southern Australia.In South Australia it (personal observation) is easily the most frequently observed shrimp for beachcombers looking into rock pools and snorkelers and divers in rocky areas from littoral zone down to at least 10 metres depth. Details of this species' morphology,lifecycle,ecology etc can be found elsewhere in the literature including ALA (Atlas of Living Australia).However at time of this edit there is little peer reviewed journal info on the important niche role P. serenus fills as a facultative (part-time) cleaning host of a wide variety of inshore fish that share similar habitat. This behaviour has been photographically documented for certain bony fish species , images of which can be seen on the MLSSA (Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc) website , the relevant Project link on the inaturalist.org database ,and is also readily accessible via National Geographic.
Examples of client species that can often be observed, at certain *times of day and night (*such windows are thought to suit both host and client due factors including tide timelines, with associated low predation risk for host and client ,and limited availability of alternative food supplies for the host shrimps, coinciding with foraging 'down time ' for clients) being cleaned by these shrimps are Yelloweye Mullet, Common Weedfish and Smooth Toadfish.
During the warmer months waders and snorkelers who have areas of exposed skin submerged, e.g. dangling their feet in a rock pool at low tide, often experience a usually painless 'pins and needles ' sensation on the submerged skin, which when the water is clear can be seen to be caused by numbers of these shrimp picking shed squames and probably sundry other things such as commensal dermatophytic 'parasites ' (mutualism ,strictly, not true parasites) normally present on the skin of healthy humans.
References
- De Grave, Sammy (9 September 2009). "Palaemon serenus Heller, 1862". WoRMS. Retrieved 10 May 2018.