Another ID

Found this shrimp very carefully hidden amongst some coral (I believe Nephthea) at Wakatobi. It was about the size of a grain of rice, and I only noticed it active at night though it didn't shy away from dive lights very much. This was one of several different species Cor and I found while there that the guides had never seen before and also couldn't ID.

thanks for posting. This one's a challenge. I can't id it either, especially not from this angle! Do you have any from the side &/ or top?

Leslie,

Thanks for looking!

Here are a couple more images which aren't as sharp but are from different angles and show its shape and markings better.

Wow, that's a beauty! I found something similar in a couple of japanese guide books. One book called it Hippolyte sp., the other called it Hippolytidae sp. So they agree on what family it's in but there's some debate about genus, let alone species! Okay if I send the images to some shrimp-loving friends?

It was a beautiful shrimp, which unfortunately we weren't able to pass on to any of the guides. We are the only ones that had found it, and knew where it was.

So, if anyone is diving at Wakatobi you can find this shrimp at 16m depth just above a large barrel sponge about halfway between gully 1 and gully 2.

I don't mind at all if you pass on the pics.

Very cool shrimp!

Alex

I would have to agree with Leslie's answer. My japanese book calls it a Hippolyte Sp too.

I've seen this around the Tukang besi area and also in Maumere.

Hi folks

long time no hear ... busy like a bee

very nice photos, Bella !

this hippolytid shrimp is possibly undescribed, Hippolyte, n. sp. (IWP Hippolyte spp are a big mess), would need to see rostrum in more detail to say if it's really a Hippolyte

it might be close to H. commensalis

Bella, could you please send the picture in higher resolution to artour_a@yahoo.com ?

cheerio

Art

art,

Thanks for your reply!

I'm enroute to the Solomon Islands at the moment and don't have access to those images. I'll send a few higher res images to you directly as soon as we're back home.

How exciting, if it's an undescribed species.