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Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 39: May-Jun 1985 |
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Shrimp trains are a'coming
In March's "Gallery" pages of Discover, several incredibly colored and patterned shrimp stun the eyes of the reader. Some of these shrimp put the gaudiest butterflies and birds to shame. We won't stop here to dwell on why some shrimp are so colorful while others are so tasty. The anomaly at hand is buried in the caption describing the red-andwhite striped peppermint shrimp, which decorates the Great Barrier Reef. It turns out that this shrimp, like the Atlantic spiny lobster, sometimes joins up with others of its species to form long moving trains or chains of animals. This behavior remains very puzzling to biologists.
(Anonymous; "Shrimp You Won't Find in Your Cocktail," Discover, 6:55, March 1985.)
Comment. Do shrimp belong with the insects? Yes, they are all arthropods.