Page 105 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

OURWILD WORLD

What
is it?

PSYCHEDELIC SEALIFE

If the whole world smells like fresh
paint to the Queen, for an emperor
shrimp it’s decorated in a garish
colour scheme of fluorescent blobs
and polka dots. Emperor shrimps
have fairly limited horizons, spending
their entire lives pottering about in
commensal relationships with their
chosen hosts. This individual in Japan
has partnered with the colourful sea
slug Ceratosoma trilobatum, ofering
a grooming service in return for the
privilege of feeding on the mollusc’s
faeces. Should the slug decide to take
a swim, the shrimp will wedge itself
into a fleshy fold on the flank of its
host to ride out the journey. SB

November 2018 BBC Wildlife 105