The coral banded or 'boxer' shrimp is a striking red-and-white banded crustacean with oversized, spiny third claws and long white antennae that it waves at passing fish. A facultative cleaner that picks parasites and dead tissue, it is hardy and reef-safe toward corals — but it is notably territorial toward its own kind and other shrimp, so it is best kept as a single specimen or a bonded male-female pair.
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Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
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Body to about 6 cm (2.4 in), with long white antennae and pincer arms that make it appear much larger.
Lifespan
2–4 years
Social needs
pair
Native region
Circumtropical — western Atlantic (Carolinas to Brazil, Gulf of Mexico) and Indo-Pacific to Australia
Origin
Worldwide
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Water type
🌊 Marine
Family
Stenopodidae
Genus
Stenopus
Part of the Marine Shrimp
A varied group of saltwater shrimp kept for their behavior, color, and usefulness — from burrowing pistol shrimp and their goby partners to ornamental and scavenging species. Most are reef-safe inverts that appreciate stable, mature systems and copper-free water.
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Larva
Most marine invertebrates hatch into microscopic planktonic larvae (such as the zoea of crustaceans or the bipinnaria/veliger of echinoderms and mollusks) that drift and feed in the water column. The larva looks nothing like the adult and undergoes major reorganization.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
After settling out of the plankton, the juvenile takes on a recognizable miniature of the adult body plan — a tiny shell, a small star, or a translucent shrimp. Crustaceans grow by molting, shedding the exoskeleton to enlarge.
Photo coming soon
Adult
Adults reach full size and reproductive maturity with the species' mature shell, shape, or coloration. Many continue to molt or grow throughout life, and some show sex differences in size or claw/appendage shape.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Natural
Red-Banded (typical)
The classic and by far most common form: bold red-and-white banded carapace, abdomen and claw arms with long white antennae. This is Stenopus hispidus, the species almost always sold simply as 'coral banded shrimp.'
Gold Coral Banded
The yellow-and-white 'gold' boxer shrimp is a separate species, Stenopus scutellatus, smaller and less common in the trade, not a color morph of S. hispidus.
Blue / Purple Coral Banded
Blue- or purple-bodied boxer shrimp offered in the trade are typically other Stenopus species (such as S. tenuirostris or S. zanzibaricus) rather than color forms of S. hispidus; verify the species, as care is broadly similar.
Habitat & enclosure
Keep one shrimp, or a mated pair, in an established reef or FOWLR tank of at least 30 gallons (115 L) with plenty of live rock, caves and shaded overhangs it can claim as a territory; in the wild it defends a patch one to two meters across. Maintain stable tropical reef parameters: temperature 72-80F (22-27C), pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.024-1.026, alkalinity 8-11 dKH and low nitrate with no ammonia or nitrite.
It is essentially circumtropical, found in the western Atlantic from the Carolinas and Gulf of Mexico to Brazil and across the Indo-Pacific to Australia, on reefs and rocky ledges. Moderate flow and any reef lighting suit it; it tends to stay near its chosen cave, often hanging upside-down beneath an overhang.
Substrate
An aquascape of live rock with caves, crevices and shaded overhangs is the real requirement, since the shrimp claims a sheltered den and emerges to clean and forage. Any fine sand or bare-bottom base works beneath the rock.
Equipment & setup
Standard reef equipment is sufficient: live-rock biofiltration, a protein skimmer, a heater for steady tropical temperatures and a powerhead for moderate flow. Keep the whole system strictly copper-free, and maintain trace iodine for healthy molts.
Diet
An omnivorous scavenger and facultative cleaner that picks parasites, mucus and dead tissue from fish at a cleaning station and forages for detritus, leftovers and carrion between the rocks. In the aquarium feed a varied meaty diet — mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood and sinking pellets — a few times a week; a well-fed shrimp cleans less but stays in good condition and molts reliably.
Behavior & temperament
Reef-safe toward corals and clams and peaceful toward most fish, but distinctly territorial: it will fight and often kill other coral banded shrimp and may harass or kill smaller ornamental shrimp, so keep only one per tank unless you have a confirmed bonded male-female pair (the female is the larger of the two). It can pinch with its big claws if cornered and may occasionally grab a very small, slow or sick fish, but this is uncommon. It is shy at first, hanging beneath ledges and waving its long white antennae, and grows bolder as it settles.
Health
Acclimation stress and copper exposure are the main killers rather than infectious disease — never use copper-based medications in its tank. Like all shrimp it is sensitive to salinity and temperature swings and to low iodine and trace elements, which can cause failed or incomplete molts; the shed exoskeleton is often mistaken for a dead shrimp. Maintain stable parameters and trace iodine, drip-acclimate slowly, and never lift it into the air. (Educational only, not a substitute for advice from an aquatic veterinarian.)
Tips, DIY & hacks
Drip-acclimate slowly over an hour or more and add it with the lights dimmed to reduce stress. Buy a single shrimp or a verified pair only — two unpaired adults will fight to the death. Give it a dedicated cave so it feels secure enough to set up a cleaning station, and keep prized tiny shrimp elsewhere.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — pre-launch draft (pending DVM review) on 2026-06-09