Peppermint Shrimp: Aiptasia’s Worst Nightmare (Care & Info)

Whether you’re looking for a solution to your Aiptasia problem or just want a colorful addition to your tank’s night crew, the humble peppermint shrimp might just be the perfect invertebrate for a saltwater aquarium.

Let’s find out why these crustaceans are so widely beloved — and how to make sure yours thrives.

Peppermint shrimp description & natural habitat

A shrimp by any other name

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: these shrimp are misnamed. Peppermint isn’t light red with darker red stripes, it’s red and white! The crustacean currently known as the camel shrimp is a much better candidate for the “peppermint” denomination. We can call today’s subject the Aiptasia shrimp instead — more about that in the section on diet.

Their common name isn’t the only misnomer. The scientific name peppermint shrimp are often sold under, Lysmata wurdemanni, is incorrect. The peppermint subgroup within the genus Lysmata was the subject of a bit of who’s who until a 2006 study split L. wurdemanni into four species. The variation caught in Florida, which is the peppermint shrimp you’ll find at your local aquarium store, ended up being labeled L. boggessi.

A 2017 study found that, at least at that time, every single peppermint shrimp in the aquarium trade was a boggessi — despite all of them still being labeled wurdemanni. A 100% misidentification rate!

If you do want to know for sure which species your shrimp belongs to, take a look at its stripes. Although they’re the same color and both grow to an adult length of about 2″, boggessi stripes are straighter and more uniform than the more squiggly pattern on wurdemanni.

Natural habitat

Peppermint shrimp, at least the ones we keep in our aquarium, inhabit the warm, shallow waters of Florida. They’re usually found in large groups in seagrass beds, coral reefs, and under ledges.

Peppermint shrimp aquarium

Peppermint shrimp make an excellent choice for both nano aquariums and larger peaceful community systems. A single specimen will do well in a tank volume of 10 gallons or up; you can add another 5 gallons for every additional shrimp to prevent overcrowding.

These shrimp don’t ask for much. As long as there are a few caves or overhangs for them to hide in, they’ll thrive in standard reef parameters in almost any type of marine aquarium. Remember, these are prey animals that rely on stealth to survive and will feel stressed out in the open!

Plenty of gunk-covered live rock will also be appreciated, but isn’t a must.

Peppermint shrimp compatibility

It’s hard to imagine a less offensive aquarium critter. Maybe snails? Peppermint shrimp are excellent neighbors, spending any time they’re not foraging tucked safely into shadowy crevices. It’s the shrimp you’ll have to protect from its tankmates, not the other way round — almost all fish have a taste for scampi, and if they can fit the shrimp in their mouths, they will (and even if they can’t, they might still nip at the antennae).

Avoid larger, predatory tankmates like pufferfish, triggerfish, lionfish, large wrasses, hawkfish, and the like. Small, peaceful, and herbivorous species are the way to go; try anything from Anthias to Zebrasoma tangs!

Are peppermint shrimp reef safe?

As with many fish and invertebrates, it depends a little on who you ask.

The true answer lies somewhere in the middle: peppermint shrimp are mostly reef safe, but we wouldn’t keep them with expensive or rare corals. They’re omnivores, after all, and their taste for Aiptasia does indicate an interest in sessile invertebrates (including those with stinging cells).

Peppermint shrimp diet

If you came here looking to deal with an Aiptasia anemone problem, this is what you’ve been waiting for. And the good news is: yes, peppermint shrimp eat Aiptasia! A 2004 scientific experiment, as well as anecdotal evidence, prove they consider these pest anemones a rare delicacy. This tracks with them being general benthic omnivores, which feed on… well, everything, as long as it’s on the seafloor.

Now, several websites claim that research shows that “L. boggessi is a more efficient Aiptasia eater than L. wurdemanni”. They are referring to the same 2004 paper, but seem to misinterpret it. The experiment compared Floridian (likely boggessi) and Haitian (likely a species later identified as L. ankeri) shrimp, and actually marked the Haitian species as the winner. Still, the authors emphasize that both shrimp eat these anemones, so it’s good news for us.

In larger community systems, even when they’ve finished off all the Aiptasia, peppermint shrimp don’t need much in the way of supplemental feeding. They make excellent janitors and will happily feed on leftovers, biofilm, detritus, and even dead tankmates (circle of life and all that).

In smaller very clean aquariums, you can offer a small daily serving of any kind of fish food to keep your shrimp well-fed. The best time to feed is just before you turn off the lights: these shrimp perform their scavenging duties under the cover of darkness.

FAQ: Are peppermint shrimp cleaner shrimp? Some sources still list them as such, but no, they’re not. The genus Lysmata does contain several species that clean fish, but L. boggessi is not among them.

Breeding peppermint shrimp

Because most peppermint shrimp are wild-caught, often as commercial crab and shrimp by-catch, scientists are concerned about the status of wild populations. It took a while for aquaculture companies to crack breeding them, maybe partially due to their protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite nature (they start as males, but eventually also develop female parts). Luckily, despite their gender-bending antics, captive-bred peppermint shrimp are now available at some aquarium stores.

Unfortunately for us hobbyists, raising the planktonic larvae on a small scale is highly challenging. They’re eaten or sucked into the filter instantly in display tanks, and even in dedicated larval rearing set-ups, their sensitive nature and need for microfoods makes them a non-starter for most aquarists.

Have too much time and money? Check out the aquarium classic How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp if you’d like to give breeding a try.

Conclusion

Peppermint shrimp are one of the most popular saltwater crustaceans for a reason. Their decorative pattern, hardy and polite nature, taste for pest anemones, and suitability for nano tanks makes them a great choice for beginners and expert aquarists alike.