The body size of this species is up to 18 cm. They are usually found in un-shaped burrows constructed of small pieces of rubble or in coral. The adult males often have a bright green color. The females are more commonly olive, and the juveniles tend to be yellow. The female mantis shrimp lays eggs which are red or pink in color, and keeps them on the outside of her body, aerating them. This egg clutch can be very small - from 8-14mm and there can be up to 50,000 eggs in one clutch, all attached to each other. She holds the eggs for about 11 weeks and turns (aerates) them to guarantee a good oxygen supply as well as picking out dead or bad eggs.