Common Name: Banded Coral Shrimp

Distribution: Abundant in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Pantropical distribution, in Australia from southern Western Australia, across the tropical north, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, south to around Eden in New South Wales. 

Ecological Notes: Frequents caves, crevices, both inshore and offshore reef areas. Shallow subtidal depths.

Additional Notes: White body with red head and two red or dark body bands, red banding on claw arms, occasionally with blue to purple on legs, around carapace and on head. Presence often first noticed by the long white antennae protruding from its hiding place. Occasionally act as cleaner shrimps, using its three pairs of claws to remove damaged tissue and parasites from fish. Grows to about 90 mm. 

References: Diana Jones, Gary Morgan, A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters, Western Australian Museum, Reed Publishers, Sydney, 1994. pp.76-7.

Reef Creature Identification, Tropical Pacific. Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach, New World Publications Inc, Jacksonville, Florida, USA, 2012 edition. p.143.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Stenopus+hispidus. Accessed 14/11/2018.