The colourful Banded Coral Shrimp is a common sight in nearly every Pacific Ocean reef. Also known as a Cleaner Shrimp or Barber-Pole Shrimp, it often feeds on the parasites that co-operative fish or eels allow it to pick off their bodies.

I have sometimes seen moray eels being cleaned by these fascinating shrimps around the Poor knights islands, an amazing sight since these three inch long animals are certainly no match for the predatory jaws and big appetite of a large eel.

The shrimp actually crawl all over the animals they are cleaning, using their numerous sets of claws and chelipeds to dine on a meal of parasites. To the fish or eel, the shrimp is performing the service of parasite removal, and in turn the shrimp gets a free meal.

Some groups of these shrimp are known to have "cleaning stations" or designated places on the reef where several shrimp climb on a fish that actually seeks out their services.