Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
- Scientific name
- Lysmata amboinensis
- Group
- Crustaceans
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea, Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The skunk cleaner shrimp runs a genuine "cleaning station" on the reef, where fish — sometimes even large predators like moray eels — line up to have parasites and dead skin removed. Its long white antennae and characteristic swaying motion act as an advertisement to attract customers.
What defines this group — Crustaceans
Armoured arthropods: crabs, shrimp and lobsters, all built around an external shell.
- The skeleton is on the outside; growing means shedding it — the moult.
- Jointed legs in pairs, often reshaped into claws or antennae.
- The larvae drift with the plankton in open water before settling on the bottom.
Other species in this group
- Common hermit crab
- Green shore crab
- Caribbean spiny lobster
- Spinous spider crab
- Common prawn
- Norway lobster