Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
Sexy anemone shrimp (Thor amboinensis) get their name from their unusual body movements or dance that they perform, as well as their propensity for hanging out with anemones as demonstrated in the above photo.
Sexy anemone shrimp are found in the Indo-Pacific and belong to the family Hippolytidae.
Sexy anemone shrimp (often simply called "sexy shrimp") make useful marine aquarium inhabitants. They are scavengers and will clean up left over food in the tank.
They are peaceful toward other tank inhabitants as well as toward members of their own species. They can be successfully kept in a reef tank. It is best to keep several sexy shrimp together as a group. By keeping them in a group they will be less shy and happier too.
Sexy shrimp are small, reaching a maximum size of only 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), so don't keep them with predatory species as tankmates or they may be eaten.
Because a video is worth a thousand words, watch the You Tube video below to see the unusual movements of the sexy shrimp.
As you can see from the video, the sexy shrimp gyrates or moves its posterior end, hence the name sexy shrimp.
There are several different color variations of sexy shrimp (e.g., red, black, tan).
Sexy shrimp are carnivores (but will sometimes eat algae) and will eat most aquarium fare. Feed them meaty foods for marine fish or invertebrates. They will even eat dried food and pellets. It is very beneficial to have live rock in their tank for them to graze on.
They will often breed in the aquarium. Males and females look similar to one another. However, you can sometimes sex your shrimp when the females are filled with eggs because they will have a more rounded body shape than the males.
Sexy anemone shrimp can be purchased for about $10 each.
