The skunk cleaner shrimp is one of the most popular and reef-safe marine invertebrates, instantly recognizable by its two red stripes flanking a central white dorsal band and long white antennae. It runs active cleaning stations, picking parasites and dead tissue from fish, and is hardy, peaceful, and beginner-friendly once properly acclimated.
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About 5-6 cm (2-2.5 in) body length, with long white antennae adding to apparent size.
Lifespan
2–5 years
Social needs
pair
Native region
Indo-Pacific and Red Sea reefs
Origin
Old World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Water type
🌊 Marine
Family
Lysmatidae
Genus
Lysmata
Part of the Cleaner Shrimp
Brightly colored marine shrimp, mostly of the genus Lysmata, that set up cleaning stations and pick parasites and dead tissue from fish. Hardy, peaceful, and almost universally reef-safe, they are among the most popular and useful invertebrates in the saltwater hobby.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Reef aquarium
20 gal (≈ 76 L) reef
Lysmata amboinensis is the classic Pacific cleaner shrimp. Keep singly or as a bonded pair in a 20+ gal reef with rockwork. Stable 1.025 salinity, 24–26 °C. Hermaphroditic — any two will pair.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Established reef aquarium
30–55 gal reef, rockwork, fish clients
A 30+ gal reef with rockwork stations, peaceful clients (tangs, wrasses, gobies) to clean, and stable parameters. Skunks set up cleaning stations and parade for clients.
Ideal
Mature display reef
55+ gal mature reef
A mature display reef with diverse fish community and visible cleaning interactions. A bonded pair is one of the most rewarding marine invert sights in the hobby.
M0tty / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Life & growth stages
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.
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.
Habitat & enclosure
House in an established marine or reef tank of at least 75 L (20 gal) with plenty of live rock for shelter and perching spots near open water for a cleaning station. Keep temperature 24-27°C (75-80°F), pH 8.1-8.4, salinity at specific gravity 1.024-1.026, dKH 8-12, with stable, low ammonia/nitrite and nitrate under ~20 ppm. Moderate flow and standard reef lighting suit it; like all inverts it is sensitive to copper and rapid parameter swings.
Stable, mature water is far more important than tank size for this species, so add it only to a cycled system several months old.
Substrate
Live rock is the key aquascape element, providing caves, ledges, and overhangs for shelter and elevated cleaning perches. Fine sand or a shallow reef substrate works well underneath; bare-bottom is acceptable in dedicated systems.
Equipment & setup
Use reliable biological filtration (live rock plus a sump or canister), a protein skimmer, and a heater to hold a steady tropical temperature. A powerhead for moderate circulation and standard reef lighting are sufficient; ensure all equipment and any medications are copper-free.
Diet
Omnivorous scavenger. In nature it cleans ectoparasites, mucus, and dead skin from client fish, and in the aquarium it supplements this by scavenging uneaten food and detritus. Offer a varied meaty diet of mysis, brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood, sinking pellets, and occasional marine algae a few times per week.
Behavior & temperament
Peaceful, fully reef-safe, and social — it does best kept as a pair or small group, as singles can be shy. Sets up cleaning stations and will groom tangs, wrasses, and other fish; generally ignored by most community fish, though large predators (lionfish, big groupers, triggers, hawkfish) may eat it. Compatible with corals, clams, snails, and other peaceful inverts.
Health
Most losses come from improper acclimation (osmotic shock) or copper/medication exposure rather than disease. Failed or incomplete molts, often from low iodine, calcium, or poor nutrition, are the main husbandry problem; never pull a discarded exoskeleton thinking the shrimp died, as molting is normal. It can act as a tank cleaner but does not reliably eradicate parasites like ich on its own.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Always drip-acclimate over 45-90 minutes to ease the shift in salinity and pH, and dim the lights when introducing it. Keep two or more together for natural behavior, and never dose copper-based fish medications in a tank housing this shrimp. Trace iodine and a calcium/alkalinity-balanced reef tank support clean molts.
