Fire shrimp

The fire shrimp, also called the blood shrimp or scarlet cleaner shrimp, is a type of cleaner shrimp from the Indo-Pacific region. It is a common choice for home aquariums. This species was first formally described in 1983, based on specimens collected from Polillo Island in the Philippines. Its scientific name honors Helmut Debelius, who gathered the specimens and sent them to a zoologist for study.

A separate population from Ari Atoll in the Maldives was later classified as a distinct species, L. splendida. Fire shrimp reach about 3 centimeters in length. Males and functional hermaphrodites look alike. The body is red, with bright white antennae and white tips on the third through fifth walking legs.

White spots appear on the head and legs; the presence of white spots on the abdomen distinguishes L. splendida from L. debelius. In reef ecosystems, this shrimp acts as a cleaner, a role it shares with other Lysmata species. It is a popular aquarium pet. Because it is a hermaphrodite, any two individuals can mate.

Their egg hatching, molting, and mating cycle follows the same pattern as L. wurdemanni, producing a new batch of larvae each week from each pair.