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Harlequin Shrimp

Harlequin Shrimp line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Harlequin Shrimp full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Harlequin Shrimp was completed on 9.16.09.This subject was a tricky one. These handsome little guys are very TINY! Only an inch or so long. And they're really not like anything else I've seen, so the eye already struggles to understand their physiology traits as it is. As humans I think we tend to look for eyes, mouths, etc automatically. When they're not recognizable or hidden it can be confusing, as is the case here. The drawing is based on a photo by David Henshaw.

Information about the Harlequin Shrimp:

The Harlequin Shrimp are small crustaceans native to some of the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These are tiny animals growing no larger than 2 inches (50 millimeters) long. Their diet consists entirely of starfish, which they often hunt for in pairs. They will feed very slowly on the starfish keeping their prey alive for several days. They are very popular aquarium animals for saltwater tanks.