Will my Peppermint Shrimp definitely eat Aiptasia?

Most individuals within the complex (especially L. boggessi) are excellent Aiptasia eaters. However, if they are heavily fed with fish food, they may ignore the anemones. Sometimes keeping a group of three or more encourages competitive feeding, yielding better results.

Are Peppermint Shrimp reef safe?

Yes, they are generally considered completely reef safe. Very rarely, a hungry individual might pick at the edges of a fleshy LPS coral or zoanthid while stealing food, but they do not actively consume coral tissue.

Why is my Peppermint Shrimp hiding all day?

This is completely normal behaviour. They are naturally nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning they prefer the safety of dark caves and overhangs during bright daylight hours, emerging at dusk to scavenge.

Did my shrimp die, or did it just moult?

Shrimp frequently shed their entire exoskeleton to grow. A moult looks exactly like a dead, transparent shrimp, complete with antennae and legs. If you see this, leave the moult in the tank (the shrimp will eat it to recycle calcium) and look closely in the rockwork—your newly moulted shrimp will be hiding until its new shell hardens.

How can I tell a Peppermint Shrimp from a Camel Shrimp?

Camel Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis) have a very pronounced upwardly angled 'beak' (rostrum), a humped back, and distinct, solid white stripes. Peppermint Shrimp have straighter backs and their stripes are strictly red or reddish-brown on a clear body.

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Peppermint Shrimp

Lysmata wurdemanni

A highly popular marine invertebrate prized for its vibrant red-striped appearance and its voracious appetite for nuisance Aiptasia anemones.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 22 – 26 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Hardness: 8 – 12 dGH
Salinity: 1.023 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 3 – 5 cm
Nano reef or larger: 40 litres+
Lifespan: 1 – 2 years
Diet: Omnivore / Scavenger
Water flow: Moderate
Preferred setup: Live rock with plenty of dark crevices and caves

About the Peppermint Shrimp

The Peppermint Shrimp is a staple of the marine hobby, though it technically represents a complex of visually similar species including *Lysmata wurdemanni* and *Lysmata boggessi*. Distinctive for their translucent bodies laced with sharp red striping, they are fascinating scavengers that bring activity to the lower levels of a reef aquarium. They are particularly famous for their natural instinct to prey upon Aiptasia, making them an excellent biological control method for these pest anemones.

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Is it right for your tank?

Check Peppermint Shrimp against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.

Where Peppermint Shrimp comes from

Native range

Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico

Countries / regions

United States, Bahamas, Mexico, Cuba

Habitat

Shallow coastal reefs, rocky crevices, and sponge matrices.

What the aquarium trade refers to as 'Peppermint Shrimp' is actually a complex of closely related species, predominantly L. wurdemanni and L. boggessi, found throughout the tropical Western Atlantic.

Similar species

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Blood Red Fire Shrimp
Lysmata debelius
Camel Shrimp
Rhynchocinetes durbanensis

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Peaceful mid-water fish that will entirely ignore bottom-dwelling shrimp.
Great
Neon Goby
Elacatinus oceanops
Small, highly peaceful marine species that shares the reef safely with small invertebrates.
Great
Coral Banded Shrimp
Stenopus hispidus
Can be highly territorial towards other shrimp species; may attack or kill a Peppermint Shrimp in smaller tanks.
Compatible with caution
Longnose Hawkfish
Oxycirrhites typus
Hawkfish are opportunistic benthic predators; large specimens may view a freshly moulted Peppermint Shrimp as food.
Compatible with caution
Volitan Lionfish
Pterois volitans
A predatory fish that will actively hunt and consume any shrimp it can fit into its mouth.
Not recommended
Picasso Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus aculeatus
Triggerfish are specialist invertebrate hunters equipped with powerful jaws designed to crush crustaceans.
Not recommended

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