Yucatan Anemone Shrimp

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic, typically found living on or near large anemones in shallow reefs.

Taxonomy: Classified under the Palaemonidae family. It features a transparent body with long, banded antennae used to signal fish.

Social Behavior: Peaceful and symbiotic. Acts as a facultative cleaner shrimp, waving its antennae to invite reef fish to be cleaned of parasites.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Glass-like body with distinct purple and white saddle markings. Females are generally larger and carry egg masses.

Tank Setup: Best suited for a reef aquarium of at least 10 gallons with a host anemone (such as *Condylactis gigantea*) and live rock crevices.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous scavenger. It eats particles of frozen foods, detritus, and anemone mucus. Supplement with fine frozen foods like daphnia.

Water Quality: Requires clean marine water: pH 8.1-8.4, temperature 22-27°C, salinity 1.023-1.025, and zero tolerance for copper medications.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Safe with corals. Do not mix with predatory species like hawkfish, dottybacks, or large wrasses that will prey on small shrimp.

Aquarium Breeding: Spawning occurs in captivity, with the female carrying eggs on her pleopods. The planktonic larvae rarely survive past a few days.

Risks and Diseases: High mortality risk if not properly acclimated. Prone to predation if the host anemone is not healthy or disappears from the tank.