Hippolyte bifidirostris

Taxobox
name = "Hippolyte bifidirostris"
status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Crustacea
classis = Malacostraca
ordo = Decapoda
superfamilia = Alpheoidea
familia = Hippolytidae
genus = Hippolyte
species = "H. bifidirostris"
binomial = "Hippolyte bifidirostris"
binomial_authority = E. J. Miers, 1876

"Hippolyte bifidirostris" is a chameleon shrimp of the family Hippolytidae, endemic to Australia and New Zealand. It is found subtidally on coral reefs and in seagrass beds, to depths of up to 36 metres. Its length is up to 40 mm.

"Hippolyte bifidirostris" has a humped back, a large rostrum, prominent eyes, and very short nipper-bearing front limbs. Coloration is usually brown or green, but it is an expert at camouflage, imitating the colour and pattern of its background very accurately, though it takes up to a day to do so, longer with age. The animal is very nimble and fast — it darts from frond to frond with such speed that its movements are hard to follow. It is a scavenger, feeding on the decaying remains of small animals and fragments of plants.

References

* Miller M & Batt G, "Reef and Beach Life of New Zealand", William Collins (New Zealand) Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1973