LiveAquaria.com has had a pair of Bongo Bumble Bee Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalma) for a short while now (9/30/2008) and it’s worth highlighting these rare beauties in case they’ve gone unnoticed. I have seen one photo of this species on a Japanese aquarium site, but other than that case, Scott Michael’s blog & LiveAquaria these are [...]
LiveAquaria.com has had a pair of Bongo Bumble Bee Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalma) for a short while now (9/30/2008) and it’s worth highlighting these rare beauties in case they’ve gone unnoticed. I have seen one photo of this species on a Japanese aquarium site, but other than that case, Scott Michael’s blog & LiveAquaria these are only instances I have come across that mention both Phyllognathia and Aquariums even remotely close to one another.
Prior to their listing Kevin Kohen kept these beautiful ornate shrimp and found their diet to consist of Asterina starfish as well as Brittle Stars (Ophuroids). This is not too large of a shock–they are related to the infamous Harlequin shrimp. According to Scott Michael, until Kevin Kohen’s care and observations of this species it was only an assumption, stating that no direct observations of their feeding habits have been published in scientific literature. Here you can watch them dine on their prey.
I can only hope these animals go to a deserving owner who appreciates them. If they don’t sell soon, I may be able to rationalize an ADA nano dedicated to this species as a Christmas gift to myself…
Most of us will never own this species so here is another video, by Akira Bingo, showing them in their natural habitat.
Here are a few more photos of this vivid creature to enjoy:
