sexy shrimp

**phantom** Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:33 am

Scientific Name : Thor Amboinensis
Origin : Indo-Pacific
Difficulty : Easy
Minimum Size Tank : 5 Gallons
Temperament : Peaceful
Temperature : 72 - 82°F
Reef Safe : Mostly
Maximum Size : 1/2 inch
Diet : mainly Omnivore

One of the tiniest ornamental shrimps, the sex shrimp is a mainstay of the marine aquarium hobby. It is named the sexy shrimp due to the way it is continuously twirling its body even when stationary. In their natural habitats they are ordinarily found hosting an anemone.

They can be housed in the smallest tanks due to their size. They will grow no longer than half an inch. Sexy shrimp are caught from in the vicinity of the Indo Pacific where they are a widespread. They are also pretty inexpensive as a result, making them extremely within reach to all marine aquarium enthusiasts.

It is essential that you warily consider their tank mates. Owing to their small size, they are easily harassed and consumed by larger fish. Big carnivore tank mates are a bad combination]. However, they do appear to fare well with dwarf angelfish. Though i'd avoid housing them with large angels just in case.

Because they are so petite, feeding them is extremely cheap. Normally any type of sinking pellet will do. These pellets can be from a variety of brands. New Life Spectrum pellets are an excellent pellet for any marine fish or invertebrate. Variety is important give them occasional treat of frozen mysis and the like.

Despite their peaceful and little sizes, they are not fully reef safe. They are known to eat some types of corals such as zoanthids. In the wild, sexy shrimp have also been seen consuming their own anemone host. So it is critical to keep them well fed. One feeding per day.

Hobbyists have successfully bred the sexy shrimp in captivity. There does not appear to be much attention from large scale breeders owing to the low sale value of the sexy shrimp. Males are thinner and not as full bodied. A solitary white stripe on their backs regularly signifies a male. Females are larger with a rounded abdomen area. They tend to have a broken white stripe unlike the males.