Pacific Cleaner Shrimp
(Lysmata amboinensis)
Facts
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IUCN NOT EVALUATED (NE)
Facts about this animal
The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp can reach a length of 5-6 cm. The colour is light amber with one dorsal, white and two lateral, red longitudinal bands. There are two white spots on each side of the tail; the telson is white, too. The four antennae are white and as long as the body. The first pair of antenna is forked and has red bases. The ten walking legs are light amber the first two having forceps. In front of them there is one long pair of white maxillipeds hold ahead like a dog sitting up and begging. The vivid white and red colours are signals for conspecifics as well as for the fish to be cleaned.
The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is omnivorous and will generally scavenge and eat parasites and dead tissue by cleaning larger fishes and so on. It waits for its clientele at so called cleaning stations where it is often accompanied by other fish and shrimp species offering similar services. Some species will even clean the inner surface of the mouth and gill cavity without being eaten. The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is very social, with conspecifics as well as with any other larger living being which may be a potential client.
The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp will moult every 3-8 weeks, especially after spawning which may occur all 11-15 days in this tropical, non seasonal species. Individuals start as males, but with age androgene glands stop producing male inducing hormones and the specimens become females after some moults. The 200-500 greenish eggs are attached to the finlets and bred for 5-7 days. At dusk the 3-4 mm long newly hatched larvae are set out at a place of the reef which is exposed to current. The larvae are planctonic and will metamorphose after 5-6 months when they are 2 cm long.
Did you know?
that the character Jacques in the Pixar animated film “Finding Nemo” is a Pacific Cleaner Shrimp? that the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is the most popular shrimp kept in the hobby?
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | MALACOSTRACA |
| Order | DECAPODA |
| Suborder | PLEOCYEMATA |
| Family | HYPOLYTIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Lysmata amboinensis |
| Name (English) | Pacific Cleaner Shrimp |
| Name (French) | Crevette d'amboine, Crevette barbier |
| Name (German) | Weissband-Putzergarnele, Indopazifische Putzergarnele |
| Name (Spanish) | Gamba de línea blanca |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Lonnie Huffman
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Red Sea and tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean |
| Habitat | In shallow waters of tropical reefs |
| Wild population | Is frequently traded but not bred in captivity, however, nothing is reported on effects to populations. |
| Zoo population | 198 are reported to ISIS (2008) |
In the Zoo
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Why do zoos keep this animal
The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp will help to clean not only other inhabitants in the same tank but also the tank itself of left food and macro-algae. Additionally, it is used in education to demonstrate ecological relationships within a tropical reef especially the two-way benefit (i.e. symbiosis) between fish and its cleaner. Fish need this service to keep well and fit. Because the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is so social it can be used in a touch pool where it will readily clean the visitor’s hand hold into the water.
How this animal should be kept
The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp may be kept in a reef aquarium of any size (minimum of 50 l is required) if enough substrate, including fish, is provided to meet its obsession with cleaning.
Do avoid fish that feed on shrimps like Hawkfish, Groupers, Triggers, Squirrels, Lionfish and others. Although rather easy to keep, subdued light and high water quality is required. The Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is sensitive to changes in environment, particularly salinity which should be at 32-34 ppt. New synthetic water should be stored for a week and matched to the system's specific gravity of 1.020-1.025. Temperature should be at 22-28 °C and pH between 8.1 and 8.4. Be careful with copper-based medication and extreme nitrate levels. Trace levels of iodine are required for proper moulting.
Because the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp is omnivorous most, if not all, foods are suitable.
Breeding is extremely difficult - most larvae die when they are 1 cm long - and even professionals usually fail, although the species spawns frequently in the aquarium. Larvae need a minimum pressure of one meter depth, daily exchange of 10% of the tank water, and live marine zooplankton like Brachionus or phytoplankton like Tetraselmis chuii for food. Artemia is suitable for early instars only. Sometimes, after spawning, the “male” may eat the newly moulted “female”.