Fire Shrimp
Scientific Name : Lysmata Debelius
Origin : Japan, Indo-Pacific
Temperament : Shy
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 3 Inches
Diet : Carnivore
Difficulty : Easy
Reef Safe : Yes
Tank Size : 50 Gallons
The Fire shrimp is a strikingly colored marine aquarium shrimp that is very common within the marine aquarium hobby. Named for its deep to bright red coloration throughout its body, its feet and antennae are a solid white. Also present are a number of white spots on its head.
They are heavily collected throughout the Indo-Pacific seas and can reach a maximum length of about three inches, much like the common cleaner shrimp (Lysmata Amboinensis). However, it is usually more expensive due to their beautiful coloration and high demand from within the industry.
The fire shrimp is a type of cleaner shrimp that performs the role of parasite removal in the wild. They will typically set up cleaning stations along the reef that fish in need of their services can visit at their leisure. Once a fish approaches and signals its desire for a clean up, the fire shrimp will crawl on its body looking for parasites to pick off. Because they are natural cleaners, they are granted some immunity from a number of predators. However, there are some marine fish that will not hesitate to consume cleaner shrimp, such as Trigger Fish.
Fire shrimp are quite a shy species and are will normally be found in shaded areas, in caves or underneath overhangs in the reef structure. This is unfortunate as it means their striking colors cannot be readily appreciated. While they are never a bold shrimp, in time they may get somewhat braver to the point that you could even hand feed them.
Like most marine aquarium shrimp, they are very easy to feed in captivity. They are primarily carnivores and will consume any meaty foods offered. Anything from frozen foods, freeze dried foods along with flakes and pellets are some good choices to feed them. The most convenient types of food are sinking pellets. Not only are they easy to feed, but they are usually very balanced with regards to nutrition. Some of the best pellet foods are those produced by * New Life Spectrum.
Fire shrimp are Protandric Simultaneous Hermaphrodites. They are born with male reproductive organs and obtain female reproductive organs as they age. The difference with other hermaphrodite types is the fact that they still retain male reproductive organs throughout their lives. This means that any two fire shrimp can potentially meet and pair up in the wild.
However, it must be noted that Fire shrimp are a bit harder to pair up than the common cleaner shrimp. They are aggressive towards members of the same species and do not tolerate their presence. If you are attempting a pairing of this species, always choose specimens that are of the same size as this ensures one fire shrimp will not overpower the other. Once this is done, all you have to do is wait until they pair up.
They have been successfully tank raised by only a handful of people. Unlike the scarlet cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp are a harder species to raise. Because fire shrimp in general are relatively inexpensive creatures in the hobby, attempts at large scale breeding of the species are not common as the profit margins may simply be too low to make it feasible in the long run.
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