Range: Tropical Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Hawaii

Natural Environment: Coral reef environments, e.g., reef caves, holes, and ledges from 3 - 35 feet (1 -10 m) in depth

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 68 to 81°F (20 - 27°C). It is one of the most popular of all cleaner shrimp. This beauty has two red longitudinal stripes separated by a white stripe that terminates in a white blotched inverted "T" on the tail fan. It also has extremely long white antennae. This 3 inch (8 cm) cleaner shrimp can be kept in small groups and will come directly onto your hand to take pieces of clam, shrimp, krill, mussels, frozen mysis, fresh fish flesh and the hair off the back of your hand. It is frequently in view during the day, yet may pick/steal food from corals, but does not seem to be destructive. Since these shrimp are hermaphroditic spawners (possess both male and female sex organs), all adult members of the group produce eggs and are fertilized by another member of the group. Therefore, any two of these shrimp is sufficient to propagate the species, if they like each other! Readily breeds in the home aquarium, yet I don't know of the availability of captive-bred specimens. In the aquarium most of the larvae are either eaten by fishes or drawn into filters. They seem to be sensitive to temperatures above the low eighties. There's also an Atlantic morph, L. grabhami, that is almost an exact copy, except its white stripe goes all the way into the tail area, whereas the central body white stripe on L. amboinensis stops at the top of the tail.