The Monkey Shrimp is also popularly known as the Saron shrimp, which is brown with green spots during the day with these green spots having a variable amount of white speckling. It has a unique feature of turning its body color to primarily red at night, which helps it blend into the shadows of the twilight. The Monkey Shrimp is also commonly known as Common Marble Shrimp, Long Arms Marbled Shrimp, Saron Shrimp, and Buffalo Shrimp. The Monkey Shrimp is basically nocturnal, and it always looks for a darker place in the aquarium to hide, once it gets introduced. After acclimating, the Monkey Shrimp will start to wander about during daylight. It is usually found in the coral rubble at the base of the reef. The Monkey Shrimp can not tolerate high nitrate and or high copper. It undergoes molting and needs traces of iodine in the tank for the same process. The Monkey Shrimp feeds chiefly on brine shrimp, plankton, flaked food, frozen food and small pieces of fish. It is easy to care for and doesn?t need much attention towards it. Also, the Monkey Shrimp is peaceful in nature and non-aggressive, therefore can be kept safely along with other fish inhabitants. The Monkey Shrimp thrives well in a temperature range of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit, and with a pH of 8.1-8.4. There is a distinctive feature in males for having bunch of feathery appendages, called cirri. It is reef safe and can be kept along with other tank inhabitants along with different corals.
The Monkey Shrimp, a.k.a. Saron or Buffalo Shrimp, is a small compact shrimp that is colored in spots and stripes of brown, tan, white, and green. These shrimp prefer lots of rockwork and to be kept in groups. The Monkey Shrimp has an extended pair of front legs along with a small hump on their tail. They will not harm other aquarium inhabitants , unless provoked, and will search for food at night.Shrimp belong to the Class Crustacean and Order Decapoda, which is characterized by two pair of antennae, three body parts, and five pairs of legs. The head of Shrimp is connected to the thorax and covered by a shell called carapace. The antennae of Shrimp are normally long and thin and serve the Shrimp as extended eyes. Shrimp have highly developed abdomens which allows for quick movement. In order for Shrimp to grow they need to shed their exoskeleton, a process called "molting", which allows them to remove their restricting shell and begin a new one. Often times in the home aquarium Shrimp will leave this translucent shell in full view so it can serve as a distraction while the Shrimp finds a hiding place and allows its new shell to harden.
