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Peppermint Shrimp
Lysmata wurdemanni
The peppermint shrimp is an attractive shrimp that serves as a "cleaner" but in the wild and in human care. It scavenges waste that other species leave behind.
Range & Habitat
Florida’s coastal waters as well as the Bahamas and the Caribbean. They are found at 3-90 feet below sea level. They can sometimes be found hiding in tube sponges.
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Diet
Like other shrimp, this species is a scavenger and cleaner, feeding on debris and parasites from larger animals.
Life Span
2 to 3 years
Fun Facts about the Peppermint Shrimp
- Peppermint shrimp change color over their lifetime depending on what color light they are exposed to.
- They have been described as "peaceful" and "shy" by aquarium keepers.
- Our peppermint shrimp at the zoo live in the seahorse exhibit in the Nocturnal Animals wing of Animal Adaptations.
Sources
● Díaz‐Jiménez, L, Hernández‐Vergara, MP, Pérez‐Rostro, CI. The effect of background colour and lighting of the aquarium on the body pigmentation of the peppered shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni. Aquac Res. 2018; 49: 3508– 3516. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.13816. Accessed 2/19/2021
● Georgia Aquarium. Peppermint shrimp. https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animal/peppermint-shrimp/. Accessed 2/18/2021.
● Rhyne, Andrew & Lin, Junda. (2006). A western Atlantic peppermint shrimp complex: Redescription of Lysmata wurdemanni, description of four new species, and remarks on Lysmata rathbunae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippolytidae). Bulletin of Marine Science. 79. 165-204. Accessed 2/19/2021.
Updated June 13, 2023
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