The symbiotic alpheid shrimp Aretopsis amabilis De Man, 1910 (Decapoda: Caridea: Alpheidae) is reported from Vietnam for the first time. A male–female pair of mature individuals of this species was found inside a large strombid shell occupied by a hermit crab Dardanus cf. lagopodes (Forskål, 1775) (Diogenidae). The live coloration of the shrimps and their host, as well as its known associations and information on the species distribution are given.