How related are they?
Same genus, Lysmata (Cleaner shrimps): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the Blood Red Fire Shrimp belongs to Lysmata debelius (Blood Red Fire Shrimp), the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp to Lysmata amboinensis (Skunk Cleaner Shrimp).
Find the Blood Red Fire Shrimp on the tree · Find the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Blood Red Fire Shrimp | Skunk Cleaner Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Arthropoda Arthropods | |
| Subphylum | Crustacea Crustaceans | |
| Superclass | Multicrustacea | |
| Class | Malacostraca Malacostracans | |
| Subclass | Eumalacostraca | |
| Superorder | Eucarida | |
| Order | Decapoda Decapods | |
| Suborder | Pleocyemata Egg-carrying decapods | |
| Infraorder | Caridea caridean shrimps | |
| Superfamily | Alpheoidea Snapping, cleaner and anemone shrimps | |
| Family | Lysmatidae Cleaner and peppermint shrimps | |
| Genus | Lysmata Cleaner shrimps | |
| Species split | Lysmata debelius Blood Red Fire Shrimp | Lysmata amboinensis Skunk Cleaner Shrimp |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Blood Red Fire Shrimp | Skunk Cleaner Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Invertebrate · Shrimp | Invertebrate · Shrimp |
| Care level | Moderate | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Omnivore |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp, Sinking pellets | Mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp, Flake and pellet foods |
| Max size | 2.5 in (6.3 cm) | 3 in (7.6 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 74–80 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.023–1.026 | 1.023–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–20 ppm | 0–20 ppm |
| Lifespan | Not well documented; healthy pairs commonly live for several years in aquariums, but no published longevity data were found. | Several years in a stable aquarium; Reef Builders notes they can live for many years, but there are no rigorous longevity data. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |