Meet the Psychedelic Shrimp That Power-Lifts Starfish

[Narrator] Do not adjust your TV screen.

Or computer. Or phone.

Whatever.

There's nothing wrong with a harlequin shrimp.

It's just a bit festive.

This tiny crustacean is all about murder.

And also romance.

But mostly murder.

Harlequin shrimp tend to roll as a mated pair.

Which is adorbs.

These things are up to

some serious Bonnie and Clyde shenanigans.

But the shrimps aren't robbing banks.

Mostly because, banks are on land.

Instead, they're assaulting starfish.

So how do you eat a starfish

several times bigger than yourself?

That top bit is armor.

So nothing doing there.

But underneath,

a starfish has fleshy tube feet it uses to get around.

All the harlequin shrimp have to do then,

is flip the thing over.

That calls for some acrobatics.

The shrimp grab the starfish with their legs

and do a handstand on their enormous flattened claws.

Alright, fine.

Not exactly graceful, but it works.

So why the extravagant colors?

It could be a warning

to the harlequin shrimp's own predators.

Because this mighty crustacean,

could be packed with toxins it absorbs from it's prey.

So there you have it.

Well-dressed and romantic, and homicidal.

But look how well-dressed.