Kuekenthal's cleaner shrimp (Lysmata kuekenthali) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Kükenthal's cleaner shrimp, Striped shrimp, Red striped shrimp, Kuekenthal's shrimp
Family
Lysmatidae (formerly Hippolytidae)
Origin
Indo-West Pacific reefs (benthic, tropical)
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
5 cm
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12, SG 1.023–1.025
Minimum tank
75 litres
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
with_caution

Care

Kuekenthal's cleaner shrimp is a small Indo-West Pacific Lysmata with fine red stripes over a paler body and bright red antennae and legs. SeaLifeBase gives a maximum length of about 3.5 cm, and LiveAquaria lists up to 5 cm. It is related to the peppermint shrimp and is often bought for the same job: eating Aiptasia glass anemones. LiveAquaria still lists it under the older family Hippolytidae; it is now placed in Lysmatidae. Tank set-up: a mature reef or fish-only tank with plenty of live rock and caves. It does better in a group than alone, and LiveAquaria notes that several shrimp working together can hold down and eat an Aiptasia that one shrimp alone might not manage. Drip-acclimatise slowly and keep nitrate low. Water: about 22–26 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, dKH 8–12 and specific gravity 1.023–1.025. Behaviour and role: a peaceful scavenger that eats Aiptasia, detritus and leftover food, and also cleans skin parasites from fish. Reef safety comes with a caution: if underfed it may pick at small coral polyps or steal food meant for corals and slower animals, so keep an eye on it and feed it regularly. Copper: copper-based medicines are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates, and some plant fertilisers carry copper too. Never treat a display tank holding this animal with copper; treat fish in a separate hospital tank, and drip-acclimatise new arrivals slowly. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/kuekenthal-s-cleaner-shrimp); SeaLifeBase (sealifebase.se/summary/Lysmata-kuekenthali.html). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Omnivore. Eats Aiptasia anemones, detritus and leftover food in the tank. If food is short, supplement with algae tablets and good flake or frozen foods such as mysis; a well-fed shrimp is much less likely to bother corals, though a very well-fed one may lose interest in Aiptasia, so feed lightly while it is doing pest control.

Breeding

Like other Lysmata it is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite: young shrimp are male first and later function as both sexes, so any two adults can breed. Eggs are carried under the tail and hatch into planktonic larvae that need a dedicated rearing tank and live foods; larvae in a display tank are eaten or lost to filtration. Rarely bred in the hobby.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful; can be kept in groups. Usually fine with corals, but hungry shrimp may nip small polyps or take food from corals and slow feeders, so it is reef safe with caution. Eaten by hawkfish, lionfish, large wrasses, triggers and predatory crabs. Safe with most community fish.

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

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