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Invertebrates · Shrimp

Blood Red Fire Shrimp

Lysmata debelius Bruce, 1983

Also called Fire Shrimp, Blood Shrimp, Cardinal Shrimp, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

  • CareModerate
  • Reef safeYes
  • TemperamentPeacefulShy; fights only other fire/cleaner shrimp
  • Favorite foods
    1. Frozen mysis / brine shrimp
    2. Chopped seafood or squid
    3. Sinking marine pellets
  • Max size2.5 in (6.3 cm)
  • Min tank30 gal
  • LifespanNot well documented
  • IUCN statusNot Evaluated
Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
Species photo: User:Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist

Quick answers

How big does the Blood Red Fire Shrimp get?
Up to 2.5 in (6.3 cm).
What size tank does it need?
At least 30 gallons.
How hard is it to keep?
Care level: Moderate.
Is it reef safe?
Yes. Most fire shrimp ignore corals, but SeaScape Studio rates it reef safe only with caution and lists polyps, soft corals, zoanthids and small stony corals among things it may pick at.
What does it eat?
  • Frozen mysis / brine shrimp
  • Chopped seafood or squid
  • Sinking marine pellets
How long does it live?
Not well documented; healthy pairs commonly live for several years in aquariums, but no published longevity data were found.
What are good tankmates?
  • Peaceful reef fish such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish and tangs
  • One other fire shrimp as a pair
  • Snails and most hard and soft corals (watch zoanthids)
  • Skunk cleaner shrimp in roomy tanks with separate caves

The 30-second version

The Blood Red Fire Shrimp is one of the reddest animals on the reef. Its body is deep red, like a ripe cherry. It has tiny white dots on its head, white tips on its back legs, and long white feelers. It lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, a bit deeper than its cousin the skunk shrimp. It hides in caves and cracks in the rock. It is shy. In the day it often stays tucked away, and it comes out more when the lights are low or when it smells food. Sometimes it cleans fish and picks off tiny pests, but not as much as the skunk shrimp does. Each grown-up can be both a mom and a dad. It needs calm, steady water, a good hiding spot, and no fish big enough to eat it.

Water & care

Hardy once settled, but more sensitive than many beginner inverts during shipping and acclimation, and shy, so it may hide for days. Drip-acclimate for over an hour. It does not tolerate copper, ammonia, nitrite, elevated nitrate or sudden parameter shifts (FishProfiles). It needs at least one shaded cave; lower light or moonlights bring it out. Molts regularly; leave the cast shell and let it hide until its new shell hardens.

ParameterKeep it at
Temperature 74–80 °F
Salinity (SG) 1.023–1.026
pH 8.1–8.4
Alkalinity 8–12 dKH
Nitrate 0–20 ppm

FishProfiles gives 75-81 F, SG 1.023-1.026 and pH 8.3-8.4; LiveAquaria gives 72-78 F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and SG 1.023-1.025. Nitrate under 20 ppm is the usual invertebrate guideline (FishProfiles warns against elevated nitrate). Calcium, magnesium and phosphate are not species-specific, so they are left blank: keep normal reef levels for healthy molting. Ammonia and nitrite must be zero and copper absent.

Feeding

DietCarnivore

Favorite foods

  • Mysis shrimp
  • Frozen brine shrimp
  • Sinking pellets
  • Chopped krill or clam

Not picky: accepts most sinking prepared foods and frozen foods, often darting out of its cave to grab food (FishProfiles). Target-feed a small piece of meaty food two to four times a week near its cave, especially when it is new and shy; a well-fed fire shrimp is less likely to bother corals. Cleaning behavior should be treated as a bonus, not its diet.

Tank & maintenance

Minimum tank
30 gallons
Aquascape
Mature rockwork with deep caves and overhangs it can claim; at least one shaded area. A cave near the front glass lets you see it more often.
Lighting
No light needs of its own; it is more active under dim or shaded areas, so give it shade under bright reef lighting.
Water flow
Low to moderate around its cave.

Routine upkeep

Standard reef upkeep with extra attention to stability: regular partial water changes with salinity-matched water, daily top-off (an auto top-off is ideal), and no copper or invertebrate-toxic treatments in the display. Leave molts in place and check that it comes out to eat at least every couple of days.

Temperament & tankmates

TemperamentPeaceful

Peaceful toward fish and most invertebrates. Can be territorial toward its own kind and other shrimp, so keep it singly or as a single pair; pairs usually get along well.

Reef safeYes

Most fire shrimp ignore corals, but SeaScape Studio rates it reef safe only with caution and lists polyps, soft corals, zoanthids and small stony corals among things it may pick at. Problems are most often reported from hungry individuals, so feed it directly and watch zoanthids and small LPS polyps after adding one.

Good tankmates

  • Peaceful reef fish such as clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish and tangs
  • One other fire shrimp as a pair
  • Snails and most hard and soft corals (watch zoanthids)
  • Skunk cleaner shrimp in roomy tanks with separate caves

Avoid

  • Hawkfish
  • Lionfish and other scorpionfish
  • Triggerfish and pufferfish
  • Large wrasses
  • Large crabs and predatory shrimp
  • Groups of several fire shrimp in a small tank
  • Copper-treated systems

Help it thrive

  • Drip-acclimate for over an hour and match salinity closely; fire shrimp often do not survive sudden parameter shifts (FishProfiles).
  • Give it a dark cave of its own and some shade; it gets bolder once it feels safe, and dim lighting brings it into view.
  • Feed it directly near its cave so it does not go hungry and start sampling corals.
  • Keep it alone or as a single pair; a pair will bond and may produce eggs regularly.
  • Add it to a mature tank before any fish that might see it as food, and never with hawkfish, lionfish, triggers or puffers.

Common ailments

Acclimation (osmotic) shock
Signs
Lying on its side, twitching, or not moving within hours to days of arrival.
Prevention
Drip acclimation for over an hour; close matching of salinity, temperature and pH.
Treatment
Usually fatal once it starts; keep conditions stable and dim and avoid further handling.

Failed or fatal molt
Signs
Stuck in a partly shed shell, or found dead beside a fresh molt.
Prevention
Stable salinity, normal reef alkalinity, calcium and magnesium, a varied meaty diet and a safe cave to molt in.
Treatment
No reliable cure; leave it undisturbed and correct any parameter swings slowly.

Copper or medication poisoning
Signs
Erratic movement, loss of balance or sudden death after medication or new decor.
Prevention
No copper or invertebrate-toxic medicines in any tank with shrimp; treat fish in a hospital tank.
Treatment
Move it to clean matched water, then use carbon or copper-removing resin and large water changes in the affected tank.

Starvation in a shy shrimp
Signs
Never seen eating, pale or thin appearance, frequent hiding, and coral picking at night.
Prevention
Target-feed near its cave, use dim lighting at feeding time, and avoid boisterous food-competing fish.
Treatment
Offer small meaty foods with a feeding tube or tongs at dusk until it feeds reliably.

This is general hobby guidance, not veterinary advice. Quarantine new arrivals and treat in a separate tank whenever you can.

Risks of owning one

  • Eaten by hawkfish, lionfish, triggerfish, pufferfish, large wrasses and large crabs.
  • May pick at zoanthids, soft corals or small polyps, especially if underfed.
  • Copper and many fish medicines cannot be used in a tank containing it.
  • More expensive than most shrimp and sensitive to acclimation and sudden parameter shifts.
  • Shy: you may rarely see it in a brightly lit or busy tank.
  • Wild-collected, so purchases draw on reef populations.

Breeding

DifficultyVery hard Captive-bredRare or wild-caught

Pairs spawn in aquariums, and any two adults can mate. Larval rearing has been achieved in research settings: a Texas Sea Grant protocol (Palmtag & Holt 2001) raised 168 larvae to juveniles between 75 and 158 days after hatching, and a 2016 Sri Lankan study reported metamorphosis at 50-90 days with 12.7-18.4% larval survival. Broodstock diet matters: switching from mussel and polychaete to live Artemia nauplii raised the average number of larvae per spawn from about 490 to about 1,770 (Simoes et al. 1998, cited by Lin et al. 2002).

  1. Keep a well-fed pair; include live or enriched Artemia in the broodstock diet.
  2. Watch for eggs carried under the tail after a molt; larvae hatch at night.
  3. Collect larvae (attracted to a light) into a dedicated larval tank with gentle circulation and very clean, stable water.
  4. Feed rotifers and newly hatched Artemia nauplii, moving to enriched Artemia and fine larval pellets as they grow; microalgae in the water helps early larvae.
  5. Expect two to five months of larval rearing with daily cleaning and water changes, and heavy losses.
  6. Move settled juveniles to a grow-out tank with cover and small meaty foods.

Deep dive The science, history and family tree

The science

Lysmata debelius is a caridean shrimp of the family Lysmatidae and a member of the pair-living "cleaner" group of Lysmata, together with L. amboinensis and L. grabhami. It is a small species: published maxima range from about 3 cm (Wikipedia) to about 5-6 cm in aquarium references. The body is a uniform deep blood red; the antennae are white, and white spots mark the carapace, with white on the posterior walking legs. It is part of a colour-defined species complex: L. splendida from the Maldives, previously confused with L. debelius, also has white spots on the abdomen, and an undescribed form has red legs. The species was described from Polillo Island in the Philippines and is known across the tropical Indo-West Pacific, with records east to French Polynesia. It lives in caves, crevices and under ledges on reef slopes, typically deeper than the skunk cleaner (SeaLifeBase gives 20-30 m). It is largely nocturnal and shy in daylight, and is a facultative cleaner: it will groom fishes for parasites and loose tissue but scavenges more than it cleans. Like other Lysmata it is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite, maturing as a male and then becoming a female-phase hermaphrodite that broods embryos while retaining male function, so any two adults can pair. Embryos hatch as planktonic zoeae with a long larval life (about 63-158 days in early culture work; 50-90 days in a 2016 study), which limits aquaculture.

Appearance
Solid deep blood-red to scarlet body and claws, small white spots on the carapace (head shield), long white antennae, and white on the rear walking legs. Look-alikes: Lysmata splendida (Maldives) has white spots on the abdomen as well as the carapace; an undescribed relative has red legs. The Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (L. amboinensis) is yellow-orange with red-and-white back stripes. The trade name "scarlet cleaner shrimp" is used for both fire and skunk shrimp.
Native range
Tropical Indo-West Pacific: described from Polillo Island, Philippines, with records east to French Polynesia. Maldivian look-alikes belong to L. splendida.
Habitat
Reef slopes, in caves, crevices and under overhangs, usually in pairs; SeaLifeBase gives a depth range of 20-30 m, deeper and dimmer than typical skunk cleaner habitat. Largely nocturnal.
Size
2.5 in (6.3 cm). Sources disagree: Wikipedia gives up to 3 cm (1.2 in) and SeaScape Studio 1.2 in, while LiveAquaria lists 2 in and FishProfiles up to 6 cm (2.4 in). Body length excludes the long white antennae.
Lifespan
Not well documented; healthy pairs commonly live for several years in aquariums, but no published longevity data were found.
Conservation
Not Evaluated. Not evaluated by the IUCN Red List and not listed by CITES (SeaLifeBase). Trade specimens are wild-collected; captive breeding has been achieved in research settings but captive-bred fire shrimp are not a regular trade item. Calado et al. (2003) noted that cleaner shrimps are collected in large numbers with likely ecosystem effects

In the aquarium vs in the wild

In your aquarium

Showpiece invertebrate prized for its color; a scavenger and occasional cleaner of fish.

On the reef

Pair-living cleaner and scavenger in reef caves; it grooms fishes for parasites and loose tissue, though less consistently than the skunk cleaner, and is prey for many reef fishes.

History

Described by the carcinologist A. J. Bruce in 1983 from specimens collected at Polillo Island in the Philippines, in a paper in the Revue francaise d'Aquariologie, an aquarium journal. The name honors Helmut Debelius, the German underwater photographer and field-guide author who collected the specimens and sent them for identification. It is a popular aquarium species. In 2000 Burukovsky described the Maldivian look-alike L. splendida, and later work showed the fire shrimp is one of a small complex of red cleaner shrimps that are best told apart by their white markings. Captive rearing protocols were developed around 2000 (Palmtag & Holt 2001), but the long larval phase has kept captive-bred fire shrimp rare.

Evolution & relatives

Lysmata is a genus of caridean shrimps in the superfamily Alpheoidea, alongside the snapping shrimps and thorid shrimps. Molecular phylogenies (Fiedler et al. 2010; Baeza et al. 2009) place L. debelius in a single "cleaner clade" with L. amboinensis and L. grabhami: bright, pair-living specialist cleaners nested inside a genus whose other members, including the lineages that branch off earlier, are mostly group-living. Simultaneous hermaphroditism is shared across the genus and probably predates this split. Like the peppermint shrimps, the cleaners lack the developed accessory branch on the antennule that marks the 'historic' Lysmata species (Rhyne & Lin 2006). Within the cleaner group, L. debelius, L. splendida and an undescribed red-legged species form a complex of look-alikes distinguished mainly by color pattern (Rhyne & Lin 2006).

Family tree, from kingdom down

  1. Kingdom Animalia Animals Animals are living things made of many cells that must eat food to live. Fish, corals, crabs, snails and sea stars are all animals.
  2. Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods Arthropods have jointed legs and a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton. To grow, they must crawl out of the old shell, which is called molting.
  3. Subphylum Crustacea Crustaceans Crustaceans are arthropods with a hard shell and two pairs of feelers. Most live in water, like crabs, shrimps and lobsters.
  4. Superclass Multicrustacea
  5. Class Malacostraca Malacostracans This big class of crustaceans includes crabs, shrimps, lobsters and krill. Their bodies are built from about the same number of segments.
  6. Subclass Eumalacostraca
  7. Superorder Eucarida
  8. Order Decapoda Decapods Decapod means 'ten feet'. Crabs, shrimps, lobsters and hermit crabs all have ten legs, counting their claws.
  9. Suborder Pleocyemata Egg-carrying decapods
  10. Infraorder Caridea caridean shrimps
  11. Superfamily Alpheoidea Snapping, cleaner and anemone shrimps
  12. Family Lysmatidae Cleaner and peppermint shrimps These shrimps often have long white feelers. Some clean other fish, and others eat pest anemones in aquariums.
  13. Genus Lysmata Cleaner shrimps Lysmata shrimps include cleaner, fire and peppermint shrimps. Many start life as males and later become male and female at once.
  14. Species Lysmata debelius

See it on the Tree of Life Compare with another species

Closest relatives

  • Lysmata splendida (no common name) Same genus; Maldivian look-alike in the L. debelius color complex
  • Lysmata amboinensis Skunk Cleaner Shrimp Same genus; fellow member of the cleaner clade Read guide · Compare
  • Lysmata grabhami Red-backed Cleaner Shrimp Same genus; Atlantic member of the cleaner clade
  • Lysmata wurdemanni Peppermint Shrimp Same genus; group-living peppermint shrimp clade Read guide · Compare
  • Thor amboinensis Sexy Shrimp Same superfamily (Alpheoidea), different family (Thoridae) Read guide · Compare

Fun facts

  1. It is named after Helmut Debelius, the diver and photographer who collected the first specimens.
  2. It was first described in an aquarium magazine, the Revue francaise d'Aquariologie, rather than a purely scientific journal.
  3. Feeding a breeding pair live baby brine shrimp instead of mussel and worms more than tripled the number of larvae per spawn in one study.
  4. There are at least three look-alike red cleaner shrimps; you can tell them apart by where their white spots are.
  5. Each adult is both male and female, so any two fire shrimp can form a breeding pair.

Learn more

Sources

  1. WoRMS taxon record 515365 marinespecies.org
  2. SeaLifeBase: Lysmata debelius summary sealifebase.se
  3. Wikipedia: Lysmata debelius en.wikipedia.org
  4. FishProfiles: Lysmata debelius fishprofiles.com
  5. LiveAquaria: Blood Red Fire Shrimp liveaquaria.com
  6. SeaScape Studio invertebrate reference: Fire Shrimp seascapestudio.net
  7. Palmtag & Holt 2001, Captive Rearing of Fire Shrimp (Texas Sea Grant) repository.library.noaa.gov
  8. Hettiarachchi & Edirisinghe 2016, Captive breeding of fire shrimp under Sri Lankan conditions tar.sljol.info
  9. Lin, Zhang & Rhyne 2002, Broodstock and larval nutrition of marine ornamental shrimp nutricionacuicola.uanl.mx
  10. Rhyne & Lin 2006, Bulletin of Marine Science 79(1): 165-204 research.nhm.org
  11. Fiedler et al. 2010, BMC Evolutionary Biology 10: 297 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. Calado et al. 2003, Marine ornamental decapods: popular, pricey, and poorly studied academic.oup.com

Care facts

The care facts on this guide and its product pages (care level, reef safety, temperament, size, tank, diet, flow, purpose, foods, acclimation and origin) combine 12 independent sources, checked October 25, 2026.

  1. Fire Cleaner Shrimp - Lysmata debelius That Pet Place
  2. fire shrimp Aquariadise
  3. Lysmata debelius Fish Profiles
  4. Why you should add a blood red fire shrimp to your aquarium Top Shelf Aquatics
  5. Fire Shrimp Kraken Corals
  6. Fire Shrimp Care Guide: Lysmata Debelius the Blood Red Beauty Gensou
  7. Blood Red Fire Shrimp Care, Information, & Pictures Build Your Aquarium
  8. Fire Shrimp Care Guide: Size, Reef Safety, Diseases & Mates Aquarium Source
  9. Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp page (product 696) LiveAquaria
  10. Lysmata debelius SeaLifeBase
  11. Captive breeding of fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) under Sri Lankan conditions Tropical Agricultural Research
  12. Closing the life-cycle of high-value Lysmata debelius shrimp in captivity James Cook University

Scientific names and classification follow the World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID 515365). Last updated October 25, 2026.