What is it?

PSYCHEDELIC SEALIFE

If the whole world smells like fresh paint to the Queen, for an emperor shrimp it’s decorated in a garish colour scheme of fluorescent blobs and polka dots. Emperor shrimps have fairly limited horizons, spending their entire lives pottering about in commensal relationships with their chosen hosts. This individual in Japan has partnered with the colourful sea slug Ceratosoma trilobatum, offering a grooming service in return for the privilege of feeding on the mollusc’s faeces. Should the slug decide to take a swim, the shrimp will wedge itself into a fleshy fold on the flank of its host to ride out the journey.