How related are they?
Same superfamily, Alpheoidea (Snapping, cleaner and anemone shrimps): relatives from different families
They split at the family level: the Sexy Shrimp belongs to Thoridae (Thorid shrimps), the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp to Lysmatidae (Cleaner and peppermint shrimps).
Find the Sexy 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 | Sexy 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 split | Thoridae Thorid shrimps | Lysmatidae Cleaner and peppermint shrimps |
| Genus | Thor Sexy shrimps | Lysmata Cleaner shrimps |
| Species | Thor amboinensis Sexy Shrimp | Lysmata amboinensis Skunk Cleaner Shrimp |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Sexy Shrimp | Skunk Cleaner Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Invertebrate · Shrimp | Invertebrate · Shrimp |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Omnivore |
| Favorite foods | Anemone and coral mucus with trapped particles, Mysis shrimp, chopped small, Frozen plankton (copepods, rotifers) | Mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp, Flake and pellet foods |
| Max size | 1 in (2.5 cm) | 3 in (7.6 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 72–80 °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; no published captive lifespan data were found. Expect a short-lived animal measured in a few years at most. | Several years in a stable aquarium; Reef Builders notes they can live for many years, but there are no rigorous longevity data. |
| Breeding | Hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |