Abstract: Hymenocera picta is popular in aquarium market due to its special feeding behavior of exclusively feeding on starfishes and its vibrant coloration. Wild resources conservation made wild harlequin shrimp more difficult to obtain. Artificial breeding has become an urgent need for industry development. The reproductive behaviors, reproductive cycle and the embryonic development were observed and recorded. The results showed that the mating behavior of the broodstock was dominated by males. Females started mating 2 hours after molting and egg spawning occurred 2 hours after mating. Larvae hatched after 14 to 15 days of embryonic development and then females molted within 12 hours to 24 hours. After that, the next breeding cycle begun.Under the temperature of 27±0.5℃, the embryonic development of Hymenocera picta was divided into 8 phases: fertilized egg, cleavage stage, blastula stage, gastrula stage, pre-nauplius stage, post-nauplius stage,membrane-zoea stage and pre-hatching stage.The newly hatched zoea carry a small amount of egg yolk, and should be fedimmediately on the day of hatching. These results not only enriched the theory of reproductive biology of Hymenocera picta, but also provide useful references for artificial breeding.

Key words: Hymenocera picta, marine ornamental shrimp, reproductive habits, embryonic development