Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)

The Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) is one of the most popular and recognisable marine invertebrates in the reef hobby, celebrated for its bold red and white striped colouration and remarkable cleaning station behaviour. It actively picks parasites, dead tissue, and debris from fish that present themselves for cleaning, providing both a visual spectacle and a genuine service to tank inhabitants. Reef-safe, hardy, and compatible with most peaceful reef fish.

Provide live rock overhangs and caves where it can establish a cleaning station. Feed supplemental mysis shrimp and frozen marine blends; it will also scavenge uneaten food. Can be kept singly or in pairs/groups in larger systems as Lysmata shrimp are protandrous hermaphrodites. Acclimate slowly using the drip method. Sensitive to copper medications and sudden salinity swings.