Modern ReefKeeping

Peppermint Shrimp

Common Names

Peppermint Shrimp

Veined Cleaner Shrimp

Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp

Candy Cane Shrimp

Scientific Name

Lysmata wurdemanni

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropodia

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Suborder: Caridea

Family: Hippolytidea

Genus: Lysmata

Origin

This shrimp inhabits the waters of the Caribbean Sea.  These shrimp often make homes inside tube sponges.

Appearance

This shrimp is nicknames peppermint as it is red and white in coloration.  The body is mostly red with white markings.  It has a number of small red antennae.  This shrimp does not have large pinchers like some of its relatives.  This shrimp will grow to about 2” in length.

Aquarium Care

This shrimp is very easy to care for in a home aquarium.  There are no special feeding or care requirements.

While this shrimp is considered part of the cleaner family, it is not well known for doing so.

One of the key features of this species is its desire to eat the nuisance aiptasia.  Some individuals have more of an appatite for the aiptasia than others, with some individuals not being interested in it at all. In general they are more likely to eat smaller specimen.

These shrimp tend to be great scavengers and do not typically need target feeding.

There are not typically any issues with keeping multiple specimen in the same aquarium.  I have successfully kept 5 or 6 at a time in a 125 gallon tank.

Summary

While these shrimp are often nocturnal they are very beneficial to have in a home aquarium.  They will help to control any outbreaks of the aiptasia anemone.  They are typically reef safe.