Sexy Shrimp
Scientific Name : Thor Amboinensis
Origin : Indo-Pacific
Temperament : Peaceful
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 1/2 Inch
Diet : Carnivore
Difficulty : Easy
Reef Safe : Yes
Tank Size : 5 Gallons
The Sexy Shrimp is an immensely popular marine aquarium shrimp particularly among those with smaller marine aquariums. They are called sexy shrimp because of the way they twirl their bodies constantly even when stationary.
Thor amboinensis is a type of anemone shrimp and is found in the wild closely associated with an anemone host. They have also been witnessed consuming their host once food sources have run out.
Generally a cheap marine aquarium shrimp, they are collected from Indo Pacific waters and are very accessible to the general hobbyist. Because of their small sizes it is important to consider the type of tank mates they will be housed with. Anything that has a taste for shrimp and has a mouth that is big enough to fit a sexy shrimp through it should be avoided.
These include Hawkfish, Dottybacks, groupers, lionsfish, triggerfish, basslets and maybe even very large angelfish and surgeonfish. As such they are restricted to aquariums that have similarly sized tank mates or those that do not pose a threat. They a popular choices for nano reef aquarium due to the fact that they can easily fit into one. Fairly hardy, they are among the easiest marine aquarium shrimp to keep in the hobby.
Like most marine aquarium shrimp, they are very easy to feed in captivity. They are primarily carnivores and will consume any meaty foods offered. Anything from frozen foods, freeze dried foods along with flakes and pellets are some good choices to feed them. The most convenient types of food are sinking pellets. Not only are they easy to feed, but they are usually very balanced with regards to nutrition. Some of the best pellet foods are those produced by * New Life Spectrum.
It should be noted that sexy shrimp are not entirely reef safe. They have been known to consume zoanthids. The way around this behavior is to ensure that they are well fed. They must be fed everyday.
Sexy Shrimp are born with different sexes with the females usually being larger than the males. Females have a larger abdomen area while males are generally slimmer. Another way to identify the sexes is in looking at their stripe around the abdomen area. Males generally have a single unbroken stripe while females have a stripes that are seperated.
Pairing two specimens up is fairly simple. Just introduce a male and a female and they should pair up eventually with no difficulty. They have been bred in captivity by many hobbyists successfully. They have large larvae for their size and they can be fed baby brine shrimp durin their first days of life.
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