Often ignored, overlooked and unrealized, crustaceans are the glue that binds our oceans eco-systems together. From the microscopic krill that feed the largest of Mammals down to the cleaning duties performed on fish, inverts and anemones these little insects of the deep should have large regard.

The family of crustaceans falls under the Phylum Arthropoda which is actually lumped together with many land based insects as well and comprise a family of more than 45,000 described creatures. More are being discovered regularly adding to this rapidly expanding family as we push away from the terrestrial shoreline and explore our underwater world.

Falling into a category that I like to call “beyond the holy grail” many of these critters come into play after the yawning frogfish, seahorses and other oddities have been photographed. Shooting photos of them can be very easy to do and can be accomplished by photographers with any skillset or camera. Infact compact cameras tend to do better then the SLR’s purely because of the depth of field. However If it’s a high resolution, detailed photos your after then it has to be super sharp, super-macro indeed. Super macro has exploded in popularity over the past few years exposing some of the smaller more highly decorated critters in all of their full framed glory. The critters in this write up are just a few of the amazing shrimp finds that are out there. Working with a guide is vital to locate, and help photograph these very small and delicate creatures.

A word of caution should be expressed here, please remember to always protect the shrimp from ever present predators, do not destroy the hosts and please do not relocate your subject as they tend to be habitat specific.

Bumblebee shrimp (Gnathophylum americanum)

Bumblebee shrimp are an echinoderm feeder that prefers Asteroida sea stars. The sea stars in this class are particularly harmful to their ecosystems where they can populate unchecked and consume fields of hard coral growth driving other sea life away. Shrimp like the Bumblebee play an important role in keeping the reef systems in balance and are a strong indicator species of a reef system in check.

Working with a guide to photograph these fast moving and uncooperative subjects is very important. Wrasse are always on the hunt for an easy meal, so if your attempting to photograph these defenseless creatures be aware of the constant danger and always try protect them.

Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta)

Harlequin shrimp scientifically described in the late 1800’s as Hymenocera picta are another Asteroida feeder. While they prefer to eat the blue or pink sea stars they also consume the veracious crown of thorns. While these sea stars are under attack it slows their consumption of hard corals. The Harleys will actually drag the smaller sea stars to a place where they can feed on it over several days keeping them alive as they do so.

Green Crinoid Shrimp (Laomenes sp1)

Partner shrimp live in symbiosis with other sea creatures such as anemones, coral and crinoids to name a few and are categorized into several subfamilies. The crinoid shrimp can be as colorful as the crinoids they live on which makes them a prime subject for photographers.

Undescribed partner / Commensal shrimp

The partner shrimp pose no threat to the crinoid and help it to stay clean by consuming other small organisms that may try to attack or collect on the crinoid. The green crinoid shrimp are particularly beautiful and very hard to find adding to the fun.

Allow our guides at Crystal Blue to help you find that perfect critter by creating your own critter list.

Let your adventure begin here..

Adapted for Crystal Blue Website and not for any other use without the exclusive permission from Mike Bartick, Sport Diver/Bonnier Cooperation and Crystal Blue Resort. All content of this article photos and script herein are owned and copyrighted by Mike Bartick- Saltwaterphoto.com