Fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Blood red fire shrimp, Blood shrimp, Scarlet cleaner shrimp, Fire cleaner shrimp
Family
Lysmatidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs (described from the Philippines)
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
5 cm
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12, SG 1.023–1.025
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

The fire shrimp is one of the most striking cleaner shrimp: a deep blood-red body with white spots and long white antennae, and white tips on the walking legs. Depending on origin, the white spots may cover just the carapace or the whole body; animals with white dots on the abdomen may be the closely related Lysmata splendida from the Maldives. It was described in 1983 and named after Helmut Debelius. Wikipedia gives about 3 cm body length; LiveAquaria lists up to 5 cm. Some sources still put it in the family Hippolytidae, but it is now placed in Lysmatidae. Keep it in a mature reef or marine tank with caves and overhangs. It is shy and mostly nocturnal, especially under bright light, and becomes bolder once settled. Keep one or a pair; in smaller tanks extra individuals of the same species are often chased. Water: 22–26 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, dKH 8–12, SG 1.023–1.025, with stable iodine for clean moults and low nitrate. Acclimatise slowly, as it is sensitive to sudden changes in salinity. Clean-up role: it sets up cleaning stations and picks parasites and dead tissue from fish, though it cleans less boldly than the skunk cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis). It also scavenges meaty food from the rock and sand. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most other invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding this animal, and check the label of any treatment or fertiliser before use. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/blood-red-fire-shrimp); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysmatadebelius). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Carnivorous scavenger. Feed small meaty foods: frozen mysis and brine shrimp, chopped seafood, pellets and flake, and freeze-dried or live foods. It also takes parasites and dead tissue from fish and leftover food. Target-feed at lights-out if it is hiding.

Breeding

Lysmata debelius is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite: young animals are male, and adults act as both sexes, so any two adults can pair and mate. A pair can produce a batch of larvae roughly every one to two weeks after moulting, and the larvae are released into the sea water. Rearing the planktonic larvae through their long larval stage needs a dedicated kreisel, live rotifers and enriched brine shrimp, and is difficult. Captive-bred fire shrimp are rare, so most are wild-caught.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe: it does not harm corals, though it may steal food from feeding corals and anemones. Peaceful with most fish and invertebrates, and tolerates its mate. Do not keep with fish that eat shrimp: hawkfish, dottybacks, larger wrasses, triggers, puffers, lionfish and groupers.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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