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Although amongst the less conspicuous members of the tropical shallow water reef fauna, the shrimps are none the less abundant. The majori ty of species arc of cryptic habits and remain concealed from view by day unless they arc disturbed. Many species are to be found under loose blocks of dead coral on intertidal reef flats or in the honeycombed channels in old coral rock. Others occupy permanent or temporary burrows in the substrate, between coral colonies or on sea grass beds. Some are to be found buried in clean coral sand. Many of these shrimps may leave their temporary burrows at night in order to feed. Careful searching is needed to reveal the rich fauna present. Much scope for fur ther study of the Seychelle shrimp fauna still exists and many species must certainly remain to be discovered. Although about 129 shrimps arc now known from this region, some 200 or more could well be expected to be present. Many well known tropical Indo-West Pacific species of wide distribution have yet to be reported from the Seychelles Islands. Richters (1880) provides one of the first reports on the decapod crustaceans o