Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
From Microcosm Aquarium Explorer
This shrimp will groom parasites and debris from fishes and make for an interesting display of reef behavior. Scott W. Michael
[edit] Overview
This may be the very best of the cleaner shrimps for the beginning aquarist. It is readily available, hardy, and much less aggressive toward its own kind than the Banded or Boxer Coral Shrimps. Distinctive long, white antennae advertise its cleaning services to fishes.
Family: Hippolytidae
Other common name(s):
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Pacific Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
Native range:
Habitat: Will hang under live rock ledges and in caves, emerging fully when food is available.
Maximum length: 5 cm (2 in)
Minimum aquarium size: 38 L (10 gal)
Lighting: Normal reef lighting.
Water: Marine 24 °C (297 K, 75 °F) - 28 °C (301 K, 82 °F)
General swimming level: Bottom.
[edit] Feeding
Scavenger. Will capture meaty foods missed by fishes. If target feeding, offer mysid shrimp, reef plankton, adult Artemia.
[edit] Aquarium Compatibility
These shrimp, best kept in pairs, are a great addition to any reef aquarium. Predators to avoid include groupers, dottybacks, triggerfishes, larger hawkfishes, large wrasses, and other known crustacean hunters. They are specially vulnerable post-molt when the new exoskeleton is still soft.
[edit] Special Care
Acclimate slowly. Avoid any abrupt shift of salinity, pH, or temperature, which can be fatal to most shrimps. Do not overdose with iodine.
[edit] Breeding/Propagation
Can be propagated in captivity. (Culture information to come.) Reproduction is common, but special care and feeding is required to rear the larvae.
[edit] Notes
The Caribbean version of this species is Lysmata grabhami, which has a pure red tail with thin white stripes on the outside edges, while L. amboinensis has a more complex pattern, with a central blotch of white. Regularly spawn in captivity.
| Common name | Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp +, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp +, and Pacific Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp + |
| Family | Hippolytidae + |
| Genus | Lysmata + |
| Image credit | SWM + |
| Lighting | Normal reef lighting. + |
| Maximum length | 2 in + |
| Minimum aquarium size | 10 gal + |
| Native range | Indo-Pacific + |
| Reference | The 101 Best Marine Invertebrates + |
| Specific name | amboinensis + |
| Swimming level | Bottom. + |
| Text credit | SWM + |
| Water max temp | 301 K (28 °C, 82 °F) + |
| Water min temp | 297 K (24 °C, 75 °F) + |
| Water type | Marine + |