Red-spotted snapping shrimp

Scientific name : Alpheus rubromaculatus

Beautiful light grey shrimp, with scattered purple spots. 4 cm. A. rubromaculatus belongs to the A. brevirostris species complex, including Alpheus randalli, Alpheus ochrostriatus, Alpheus djeddensis, Alpheus bellus, Alpheus sp. (species included in this website). All species are quite similar, in this case the colour pattern is easy to identify.

Associated organisms
This species lives in symbiosis with a goby. The shrimp, almost blind, digs a large burrow and hosts the goby. In change the fish alerts it of potential predators approaching.
A. rubromaculatus is typically associated with the white capped goby Lotilia graciliosa.