Encyclopaedia

InvertebrateMarineEasy

Anchisteus Cleaner Shrimp

Lysmata anchisteus

A peaceful and active marine cleaner shrimp from the Indo-Pacific, featuring a beautiful red and white striped pattern and acting as an excellent scavenger.

Taxonomy

Class:Malacostraca

Order:Decapoda

Family:Lysmatidae

Genus:Lysmata

Species:Lysmata anchisteus

Check out Anchisteus Cleaner Shrimp on Atlarium

PracticeRecognition quizzesPhotos, names, origins, and puzzles to review Atlas species.Open quizzes

Water Temperature

22 - 28 °C

pH Value

8.1 - 8.4

Water type

Marine

Invertebrate type

Marine shrimp

Adult size

4.5 cm

Minimum group

>= 1

8 - 12 dKH

Ecological role

Cleaner

Species description

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Lysmata anchisteus is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is commonly found in shallow coral reefs, rocky crevices, and protected lagoons across Indonesia, the Philippines, and adjacent island groups, seeking shelter in caves and under coral ledges at depths down to 30 meters.

Taxonomy: Belongs to the family Hippolytidae and the genus Lysmata. It is distinguished from other peppermint-like shrimps by minor morphological differences in its rostrum spines and walking leg proportions. Adults reach a maximum size of approximately 4 to 5 centimeters.

Social Behavior: It is a peaceful, active, and highly beneficial reef invertebrate. While it participates in cleaning symbiotic behaviors by picking parasites off fish, it is also a highly active scavenger. It is mostly active during twilight and nighttime, spending its day in shaded rock areas.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Displays a striking color pattern consisting of alternating red and translucent-white longitudinal stripes along its body. It has long, white sensory antennae. Like other Lysmata species, it is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, with each mature individual functioning as both male and female.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Tank Setup: Needs a reef-ready or fish-only marine aquarium of at least 80 liters. The setup must include plenty of stable live rock arranged to create overhangs, caves, and dark shelters. This provides the shrimp with security during the day and a safe place to hide when it sheds its exoskeleton.

Diet and Feeding: An opportunistic omnivore. It easily feeds on a wide range of aquarium foods, including leftover fish flakes, frozen foods (mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood), and sinking pellets. It also consumes organic detritus and may occasionally help control small glass anemones.

Water Quality: Requires stable marine parameters: temperature 22°C to 26°C, pH between 8.1 and 8.4, specific gravity between 1.023 and 1.025, and KH of 8 to 12 dKH. Regular water changes are recommended to keep nitrates low and replenish essential trace minerals.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Reef-safe and peaceful toward corals, clams, and other non-predatory tankmates. Can be kept in pairs or small groups. Do not house with predatory fish such as puffers, triggerfish, hawkfish, or large wrasses, which will quickly prey upon it.

Aquarium Breeding: Any two mature individuals can spawn, and both will carry eggs under their tail pleopods. The eggs are incubated until they hatch at night. Successfully raising the larvae is extremely challenging due to their long, delicate planktonic stage and specific feeding requirements.

Risks and Diseases: Extremely sensitive to copper and heavy metals, which are lethal. Maintain proper iodine levels in the water to support the molting process. Slow drip acclimation of at least 2 hours is highly critical when introducing this shrimp to a new tank to prevent osmotic shock.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Lysmata anchisteus is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is commonly found in shallow coral reefs, rocky crevices, and protected lagoons across Indonesia, the Philippines, and adjacent island groups, seeking shelter in caves and under coral ledges at depths down to 30 meters.

Origin

Tropical oceans and reefsSouth and Southeast Asia

Invertebrate profile

Diet: Omnivore
Ecological role: Cleaner
Shock sensitivity: High
Calcium and minerals: High
Molting: Periodic
Reproduction: Oviparous
Compatibility & tankmates: Reef safe

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

Related species

Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.

Variants and close relatives

Same atlas type, nearby scientific identity, genus, or family.

Boggess' Peppermint Shrimp

Lysmata boggessi

Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Origin

Invertebrate profile

Image gallery

Related species

Variants and close relatives

Boggess' Peppermint Shrimp

Kuekenthal's cleaner shrimp

Lined Shrimp

Peppermint Shrimp var. multiscissa

Slender-billed cleaner shrimp

Splendid Cleaner Shrimp

Anker's Cleaner Shrimp

Grabham's cleaner shrimp

Lipke's Cleaner Shrimp

Ternate cleaner shrimp

Bahia Cleaner Shrimp

Lysmata prima shrimp

Udo's Peppermint Shrimp

Nayarit Peppermint Shrimp

Rathbun's Peppermint Shrimp

Fire cleaner shrimp

Recommended companions

Tailspot blenny

Grape caulerpa

Beautiful Blenny

Blue assessor

Caulerpa prolifera

Caulerpa taxifolia

Chaetomorpha macroalgae

Dead man fingers algae

Halimeda macroalgae

Red gracilaria

Allen's blenny

Ambon Chromis

Axelrod's blenny

Black combtooth blenny

Black-axil Chromis

Bundoon blenny

Similar care

Malagasy cleaner shrimp

Silver-spotted cleaner shrimp

Moreland's Cleaner Shrimp

Three-spined Peppermint Shrimp

Blue-legged Boxer Shrimp

Bluntclaw snapping shrimp

Crested snapping shrimp

Hammer Snapping Shrimp

Sharp-femured Pistol Shrimp

Fine-striped Pistol Shrimp

Marble Shrimp

Saron Shrimp

Sharp-carinated Snapping Shrimp

Peppermint shrimp

Skunk cleaner shrimp

Armed Snapping Shrimp