Pacific cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Lysmata amboinensis
- Common name
- Pacific cleaner shrimp
- Category
- Crustaceans
- Family
- Lysmatidae
- Genus
- Lysmata
- Size
- 4–6 cm
- Depth
- 1–40 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- coral-reef, cave
- Behaviours
- pair, cleaner
- Ocean zones
- Asian Pacific, Caribbean, Indian Ocean & Red Sea, Eastern Pacific
Description
Lysmata amboinensis reaches 6 cm. Cleaner shrimp with yellow-orange body crossed by 2 to 3 longitudinal red bands edged with white, characteristic long white antennae. Simultaneous hermaphrodite. Lives in pairs or small groups from 1 to 40 m in cleaning stations of coral reefs and caves of entire Indo-Pacific. Listed LC. Cleans parasites and dead skin from fish (clients), fish come deliberately to be cleaned. Iconic cleaning photo subject, companion of Labroides dimidiatus.
Photo of Pacific cleaner shrimp
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Pacific cleaner shrimp?
- Pacific cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) reaches 4–6 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Pacific cleaner shrimp?
- Pacific cleaner shrimp is found between 1–40 m deep.
- Is the Pacific cleaner shrimp dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Pacific cleaner shrimp?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Pacific cleaner shrimp?
- Found in: Asian Pacific, Caribbean, Indian Ocean & Red Sea, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Lysmata
- Lysmata seticaudata - Mediterranean shrimp
- Lysmata californica - California cleaner shrimp
- Lysmata debelius - Fire Shrimp
- Lysmata wurdemanni - Red Cleaner Shrimp
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 241289)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2226409)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia