This was captured during our scuba diving trip to Pulau Sepanggar in Sabah on 26 June 2022.
The “odd couple” were very elusive to be videoed or photographed together. We saw the Goby most of the time as the blind Shrimp would have been warned by the Goby to hide inside when we were nearby!
The blind shrimp built and maintained a burrow that both animals lived in, and the Goby offered the shrimp protection from predators. When they were outside of the burrow, the Goby kept an eye out for predators and warned the shrimp with a flick of the tail if there was a predator nearby. The nearly blind shrimp could then retreat into the burrow to be spared from predation. These animals participated with each other on a highly elaborate and evolved level—and it became more impressive when they were in no way related.
