23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Hitchhiker

This is an underwater image of a little emperor shrimp hitching a ride on a Ceratosoma nudibranch. They have a symbiotic relationship, in which the emperor shrimp enjoys a free ride and a food source by consuming parasites and organic debris from the nudibranch's surface, while the nudibranch benefits from parasite removal.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Indonesia
Camera: NIKON Z 8
Copyright: © Mike Eyett