• Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Crustacea
  • Class: Malacostraca
  • Subclass: Eumalacostraca
  • Superorder: Eucarida
  • Order: Decapoda
  • Suborder: Pleocyemata
  • Infraorder: Caridea
  • Family: Hippolytidae
  • Scientific name: Hippolyte varians
  • Norwegian: sjøgressreke

Characteristics:

This little prawn, maximum length is 3 cm, has earned its name. It comes in a wide specter of colors; red, yellow, brown, green or blue. The color adapts to the surroundings. During the night it usually changes color to bluish green. The short carapace (head armor) has a single little spine.

Habitat:

It is usually seen in shallow waters, but has been reported as deep as 150 meters.

Distribution:

It is widespread in the East Atlantic Ocean, on both hemispheres.