Common name/s: Veined Shrimp, Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp

Scientific name: Lysmata wurdemanni

Family: Hippolytidae

Origin: Caribbean

Maximum size: Generally to 2"

Care: Very easy to keep and an excellent addition to the clean up crew as they eat both leftover food and also Aiptasia anemones from time to time. Pefers to live in groups, but can be kept alone. Minimum tank size is, in my opinion, five gallons for one small shrimp, and an additional five gallons per extra addition. Is best off in tanks of at least twenty gallons. Needs plenty of hiding places. They are reef safe.

This genus of shrimp is somewhat immune to predation; I keep mine with piscivorous morays, a puffer, and a benthic trigger, and they have not been eaten (yet). Typically, only the biggest, reddest shrimp is ever visible in my tank, but the others come out sometimes as well.

Extremely sensitive to copper, can die within a few minutes of being introduced to copper-laden water. Supposedly needs high levels of iodine to molt, which it will do about every two weeks when adulthood is reached.

Feeding: Eats almost any meaty food offered. I regular give them bits of raw table shrimp by hand. They can thrive on almost any other food offered; will also eat Aiptasia in many cases and may even clean fish.

Sexing: I thought them to be hermaphroditic, but on closer inspection it would appear that my biggest, reddest shrimp is never carrying eggs, but the smaller, duller ones always are. Interesting, anyways.

Breeding: Easy to breed (just place a few together) but the fry are difficult to raise. The parents may release eggs if flow stops, so catch the "shrimplets" and place them in a rearing tank with a sponge filter, and feed the tiniest foods you can get. Change the water daily.