Peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Lysmata boggessi, Veined shrimp, Caribbean cleaner shrimp, Lysmata rathbunae, Lysmata ankeri, Lysmata bahia, Aiptasia-eating shrimp
Family
Lysmatidae (formerly Hippolytidae)
Origin
Western Atlantic: US Atlantic coast from Long Island to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
7 cm
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
SG 1.020–1.025, dKH 8–12
Care level
beginner
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

The peppermint shrimp is a small Atlantic cleaner shrimp with a clear or creamy body and thin red stripes, like a peppermint sweet, reaching about 7 cm. Its eggs are bright green. It is one of the most popular reef shrimp because it often eats pest Aiptasia (glass anemones). Names: Lysmata wurdemanni is really a complex of very similar species, revised in 2006 (Rhyne and Lin), and genetic work suggests at least five and perhaps nine look-alike species. Most shrimp sold as peppermints are Lysmata boggessi, the species best documented eating Aiptasia; others include L. rathbunae, L. ankeri and L. bahia. Do not confuse them with the Pacific camel shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis), which has a pointed, hinged nose and white stripes between the red, and eats corals. Set-up: a reef or fish-only tank with live rock, caves for moulting and open sand to scavenge on. Peppermints are social and can be kept singly or in groups. They need stable salinity, so drip-acclimatise them slowly. Steady iodine and good water quality help clean moults; they do not tolerate high nitrate. Water: 22–26 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, SG 1.020–1.025, dKH 8–12. Role: a good scavenger of detritus, uneaten food and decaying matter, and a cleaner that picks parasites and dead tissue from fish. Individuals vary in how keen they are on Aiptasia; keep them a little hungry and avoid feeding heavily if you want them to hunt it. 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 read the label of any treatment, fertiliser or algae remover before use. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/peppermint-shrimp); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysmatawurdemanni). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A scavenger and cleaner. It eats detritus, leftover food, decaying matter, and parasites and dead tissue from fish. In the tank it takes flakes, pellets, frozen mysis and brine shrimp and small pieces of fish. Many eat Aiptasia, especially L. boggessi. A very hungry peppermint may pick at zoanthids or soft polyps, so make sure it finds enough food.

Breeding

A protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite: each shrimp starts as a male, moults four times as a male, then becomes a hermaphrodite that can act as a male between moults and as a female just after moulting (some never change). Mating happens straight after the female-phase moult, while the shell is soft. Pairs readily breed in aquariums, releasing batches of planktonic larvae roughly weekly. Commercial farms rear them, and hobbyists can too with a separate larval tank, rotifers and newly hatched brine shrimp, but it takes dedication.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and safe with corals and most reef inhabitants. Kept with peaceful fish, gobies, other cleaner shrimp and clean-up crew. Large wrasses, hawkfish, triggers, dottybacks and lionfish may eat it. Harlequin shrimp ignore it. Several can live together.

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

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