Threats
Stenopus hispidus is not classified as an endangered species. However, even not critically endangered, S. hispidus populations are facing threats and are in abundance decline.
There is no act of protection of any kind against these organisms pretty much across the world. S. hispidus is very central to the ornamental trade because of its attractive coloration and low maintenance in an aquarium. The collection of S. hispidus represents most of the marine ornamental trade which worldwide makes over 200 million dollars per year (Shuman et. al 2004). It has been hypothesized that their harvest from the natural environment for the aquarium in a commercial way is responsible for the observed decline and may constitute the main threat to coral shrimp and reef communities (Fletcher et al., 1995).
S. hispidus lives in reef area where habitat and food is available to them. Any threat that act against the well being of reefs, coral reefs and food source of coral shrimp is an indirect threat to consider.
On another hand, no natural predators of this shrimp are known. Saying that no one is preying on shrimp doesn’t mean that S. Hispidus is entirely immune from predators. In some rare case, it has been reported that some coral shrimp were present in the stomach of groupers, Epinephalus merra (Randall & Brock, 1960). However no threat seems to be apparent from predation. In a straightforward experiment, an octopus was confined with a pair of coral shrimps. The coral shrimps were not eaten, even after several days when the octopus was starving. Habitually octopuses will feed willingly on crustaceans on the second or third day of captivity. They conclude that the octopus had difficulty catching the coral shrimps, which are reasonably agile (Limbaugh et. al., 1961). |