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Harlequin shrimps have very interesting eating habits.
Working in pairs, the shrimps take on sea stars many times their size.
Over a period of days,
the shrimps systematically sever and eat the sea star's legs.
They must be decisive however,
because the sea star will reattach its legs, given a chance.
The sea star can also regenerate its legs,
so the shrimps leave the central disc that contains its vital organs,
so that they have a chance to feed on the same individual again in the future.
The shrimp feed exclusively on sea stars
and cannot live without them.
This is known as "obligate predation".
By turning the sea star over, it is less likely to escape
and the shrimps have access to it's soft underside.
For such a small creature, the shrimps have remarkable strength.
The larger peacock mantis shrimp does things in a different way.
Two of its claws have evolved into red and white clubs
that the shrimp uses to smash or stun prey.
These formidable weapons are effectively spring-loaded.
When the shrimp deploys them
they strike their target at a velocity of some 23 meters per second,
and their sound can be heard some distance away underwater.
Amongst aquarists they have earned the nickname "thumb splitter",
and have even been known to smash the glass of aquariums when,
presumably, the shrimp mistook its reflection for a competitor.
This shrimp is trying to smash an oyster,
but occasionally stops its work to give us a colorful threat display.
Partnerships are a very important aspect of the reef ecosystem.
Skunk cleaner shrimps are often found in the presence of giant morays.
The shrimp scours the host for parasites,
so the shrimp keeps itself fed
while the moray keeps itself clean and healthy.
Such mutualism between marine creatures is a key element of survival.
Given the opportunity, the shrimps will even clean a diver's teeth.
Here at Koh Bon we see a similar example of symbiosis.
Variable-lined fusiliers gather
to get a valet from a pair of bluestreak cleaner wrasse.
The bold longitudinal stripes of the cleaner wrasse
enable fishes to easily recognize it as their friend.
This starry puffer opens its gill wide
to afford maximum access to a pair of cleaner wrasse.
Cleaner wrasse operate out of recognized "cleaning stations":
specific locations where fishes go to be cleaned and not to feed.
The batfish at Koh Tachai know they can rely on the attentions of bluestreak cleaner wrasse.
The less-common bicolor cleaner wrasse also operate here.
Without this cleaning service,
the host fish may quickly become diseased.
Even the fearsome giant moray has entered into this silent contract.
However the cleaner's attentions are not always welcome.
This honeycomb moray seems particularly irritated by the presence of a cleaner shrimp
and this blackspotted puffer is so annoyed by these cleaner wrasse
that it even starts to inflate,
a reflex normally reserved for times of great danger.
The false cleanerfish is a blenny
which has cunningly evolved to closely resemble the cleaner wrasse,
yet actually feeds on the flesh of its hosts.
This cuttlefish seems to get a lot more than it bargained for
when it receives a nasty nip on the eye.
Large fishes such as this zebra shark
often find themselves with company in the form of a sharksucker...