- Size
- To about 6 cm
- Snorkel or dive
- Snorkel and dive; look into ledges and caves.
- Best season
- Year-round.
- Conservation
- Not assessed by the IUCN Red List.
How to recognise it
A translucent amber shrimp with a bold white-edged red stripe down the back and long white antennae it waves to advertise its service.
Behaviour in the wild
Runs cleaning stations in reef crevices, picking parasites and dead skin from fish — even from inside the mouths of larger predators.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Reef crevices, cleaning stations and overhangs across the atolls.
Visual field notes
See cleaner shrimp from more than one angle.
One verified identification image is currently available.
01 · Field portrait · Species reference
Field notes
Client fish deliberately hold still and open their mouths and gills for cleaner shrimp — a truce in which predator and prey call a temporary ceasefire.
Profile references
References are shown transparently; profile copy may also include editorial synthesis. Seasons and sightings vary with wild conditions.
