Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Ghost Shrimps Vs Brittle Star

Thalasssinidean (Ghost) shrimps are burrowers, they construct branching burrows in muddy and sandy sediments or living in crevices under rocks and corals. This burrowing behavior makes them an important part of the marine environment.


During feeding and burrow construction, their constant movement helps mixing and transportation of particles and gases. The presence of burrows ultimately increases the oxygen content of the sediment leading to a healthier system.

Ghost shrimp maintain their burrow all the times.
They sometimes just wait in their burrow for the unlucky prey that make a wrong step. This Brittle star step on the wrong place and was immediately grab by the ghost shrimp.
The Ghost shrimp trying to pull the whole Brittle star into his burrow.
Just before the whole Brittle star got dragged into the burrow, the Brittle Star detach the arm that was grabbed by the ghost shrimp and escape The Ghost shrimp is back at the burrow entrance waiting for another unlucky prey after.

Brittle star that lost their arm can generate new arms and this have help them to escape from predators.

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