Peppermint Shrimp

Peppermint Shrimp

The Peppermint Shrimp is best known for its capability to clear out the pest anemone Aiptasia anemone. It therefore helps in cleaning out the aquarium from unnecessary pests, also known as Veined Shrimp and Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp. It attributes a beautiful sleek body, and with its unconventional and vivid body shape, it makes the aquarium captivating to the viewers. The body of the Peppermint shrimp is usually light pink to red in color, and has darker small red stripes. It is mainly found in tropical western Atlantic, and is considered completely reef safe. The Peppermint shrimp are mostly nocturnal and reclusive in nature, which makes it very safe to keep in your aquarium as it won’t bother other tank inhabitants. They are very social and peaceful towards most reef inhabitants. It belongs to the class Crustacea and order Decapoda, which is characterized by two pair of antennae, three body parts, and five pairs of legs.

The Peppermint Shrimp features long stiff antennae through which it basically feeds, and tears apart with its pincers. It has extended eyes, and highly developed abdomens, which allows quick movement. The Peppermint Shrimp sheds its exoskeleton, which allows them to remove their restricting shell and begin a fresh new shell, and this process is known as molting. It has four molts as a male before changing sexes to become a euhermaphrodite, as these tiny organisms are hermaphrodite. The Shrimp are very vulnerable during molting and needs iodine supplement periodically, which help them shed their exoskeleton.

Thus, the little Peppermint Shrimp has all the attributes, which will make your aquarium endearing to watch. Obviously, you don’t want to keep them with much larger fish species that could eat them. Not considered as efficient as the skunk cleaner shrimp when it comes to cleaning fish. Tends to hang out on the live rock in the tank and seldom ventures far from it’s chosen territory in the aquarium. You may be able to get them out of hiding once food hits the water.

#peppermint #shrimp #perppermint shrimp