Shrimp Hanging Out On Snails...

[Camaroncito]

I am very new here, and have been lurking for a while. I’ve learned lots from the forum already, and have two tanks now, since my hubby decided he wanted some too. One interesting behavior I have noted is that many of the shrimp will hang out on the snails themselves and pick around them (and behind them), so I wonder if the shrimp are feeding off the mucous excreted by the snails. Anyone else see this occurring?

[Varanus]

The mucus could hold some attraction, but I always thought that the main thing the shrimp were after was whatever biofilm was growing on the snail's shells. Since the snails burrow, and thus are out of range of the shrimp for extended periods, this allows there to be a substantial buffet of food on the shell to have grown by the time they eventually resurface.

[Mustafa]

Also, the burrowing snails dig up uneaten microorganisms when they resurface which the shrimp feast on.