How related are they?
Same genus, Lysmata (Cleaner shrimps): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp belongs to Lysmata amboinensis (Skunk Cleaner Shrimp), the Blood Red Fire Shrimp to Lysmata debelius (Blood Red Fire Shrimp).
Find the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp on the tree · Find the Blood Red Fire 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 | Skunk Cleaner Shrimp | Blood Red Fire 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 amboinensis Skunk Cleaner Shrimp | Lysmata debelius Blood Red Fire Shrimp |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Skunk Cleaner Shrimp | Blood Red Fire Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Invertebrate · Shrimp | Invertebrate · Shrimp |
| Care level | Easy | Moderate |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Omnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp, Flake and pellet foods | Mysis shrimp, Frozen brine shrimp, Sinking pellets |
| Max size | 3 in (7.6 cm) | 2.5 in (6.3 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 74–80 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.023–1.025 | 1.023–1.026 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–20 ppm | 0–20 ppm |
| Lifespan | Several years in a stable aquarium; Reef Builders notes they can live for many years, but there are no rigorous longevity data. | Not well documented; healthy pairs commonly live for several years in aquariums, but no published longevity data were found. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |