Anemone Cleaner Shrimp
Periclimenes sp.

Periclimenes is very small being easy prey for many invertivores. However, their cryptic coloring and disguise patterns help them hide, camoflauged within their host anemone. They display a high host specificity to this cnidarian. But, it is difficult to reside within tentacles of an actinarian. They has evolved mechanisms to counter these stinging nematocysts. The exoskeletons of shrimps do not appear to protect them from the anemone nematocysts and protection occurs after a time of acclimation (Crawford 1992). It has been suggested that anemone shrimp acclimate to their hosts in the same way as anemone fishes. This is by chemically camouflaging themselves in the anemone mucus which contains thousands of nematocysts secreted by the anemone (Crawford 1992). They have been seen to cut off pieces of mucus using the chelae of its chelipeds and coating its body (Crawford 1992). Once shrimps are fully acclimated to their host the anemones will not respond to them differently and completely dismiss their presence (Levine and Blanchard 1980).