What eats Harlequin Shrimp?

[BVF]

I added a harlequin shrimp a couple weeks ago to deal with the asterina star population, not really thinking anyone in the tank would mess with it. Now, it’s been a week since I’ve seen it and I’m starting to wonder if I just dropped in a $60 snack for somebody.

In the tank now is a small 6-line wrasse, big one-spot foxface, small bristletooth tang, a big diamond goby, 2 clowns, a fang blenny, and a few small red-leg hermit crabs. Everything is pretty chill and I don’t see aggression issues; only the goby and foxface seem big enough to actually eat it. Any thoughts? Thanks In advance.

 

[Slocke]

Well sixlines have a reputation for death and destruction but it could have just starved. In the wild they only eat the tube feet of starfish. Asterinas have those but they are tiny and much smaller then it would eat in the wild. Also it may not have eaten since being collected and come to you mostly starved.

 

[BVF]

Well sixlines have a reputation for death and destruction but it could have just starved. In the wild they only eat the tube feet of starfish. Asterinas have those but they are tiny and much smaller then it would eat in the wild. Also it may not have eaten since being collected and come to you mostly starved.

Thanks for the reply, I guess that is possible. It was eating asterinas in the tank, I actually fed it a couple.

 

[KrisReef]

Mine often goes missing for months. They tend to come out at night and I see it every now and then.

 

[BVF]

Thanks, hoping that is the case. It was crazy how the asterina stars instinctively moved to the front glass and toward the top within an hour of dropping the shrimp into the tank.

 

[Stomatopods17]

I have a 2.6 gallon.

Sometimes I forget they're in there. Not because they're inactive, I had a pair in my 125 that was very viewable where they were located, but the way my rockwork is in this 2.6 gallon and their size really blind spots them for me, once they grow I might seem them better.

Likely the six-line will hurt them but more likely its found a really hidden spot and will remain there until food gets dropped in. They walk around a bit in search for food, but spend a few days to a week eating a starfish, asterinas they likely walk out, grab, go back and within hours repeat to the nearest one.