Fire shrimp
A red cleaner shrimp with white antennae from the Indo-Pacific.
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.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Lysmata
- Species
- debelius
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lysmata debelius grows up to 3 centimetres long, with males and functional hermaphrodites appearing similar. It has a red body, with conspicuous white antennae and white tips to the third to fifth pereiopods. There are white dots on the cephalothorax and legs; white dots on the abdomen distinguish the related species L. splendida from L. debelius. The species was first described by A. J. Bruce in 1983, based on type material from Polillo Island in the Philippines. The specific epithet commemorates Helmut Debelius, who had collected the specimens and sent them to a zoologist for identification. A divergent population from Ari Atoll in the Maldives was later described as a separate species, L. splendida, by Rudolf Burukovsky. Lysmata debelius is one of a group of species in the genus Lysmata that has the role of a cleaner shrimp in reef ecosystems, alongside L. amboinensis, L. grabhami and L. splendida. It is a hermaphrodite and therefore any two individuals may mate. The hatching of eggs, moulting, and copulation cycle is identical to that of L. wurdemanni, yielding weekly batches of zoeae from each pair.
Reader's Guide
Lysmata debelius is a cleaner shrimp native to the Indo-Pacific, playing a role in reef ecosystems by cleaning parasites and dead tissue from fish. It is one of several Lysmata species that fulfill this function, including L. amboinensis, L. grabhami, and L. splendida. The species is popular in the aquarium trade, where it is known as the fire shrimp, blood shrimp, or scarlet cleaner shrimp. It grows up to 3 centimetres in length and has a red body with conspicuous white antennae and white tips on the third to fifth pereiopods. White dots appear on the cephalothorax and legs. The species is hermaphroditic, so any two individuals may mate. Their reproductive cycle—hatching of eggs, moulting, and copulation—is identical to that of L. wurdemanni, producing weekly batches of zoeae from each pair.
Did You Know?
- The specific epithet commemorates Helmut Debelius, who collected the specimens.
- It is a hermaphrodite, so any two individuals may mate.
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