Banded Coral Shrimp

Quick facts

Handling caution: Large pincers can pinch firmly if handled carelessly

Identity

Also known as

Banded Boxer Shrimp; Barber Pole Shrimp; Candy Cane Shrimp

Synonyms

Palaemon hispidus

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific, Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, circumtropical

Habitat

Coral reefs and rocky reef crevices in shallow tropical and subtropical waters, usually found hanging upside down in caves or under ledges with only antennae protruding

Sourcing

Wild-caught

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi-Aggressive

Adult size

1.5 – 3 in (3.8 – 7.6 cm)

Lifespan

3 – 5 yrs

Min tank

30 gal (114 L)

Growth rate

Moderate

Placement

Bottom

Water

Temperature

72 – 78 °F (22 – 26 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.025 SG

Flow

Moderate

Behavior & compatibility

Social

Pair

Aggression to own kind

High

Active

Night

Reef safe

With caution

Invert safe

With caution

Shrimp safe

No

Clean-up role

Leftover food, Carrion, Detritus

Population boom risk

Low

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Carnivore

Foods

Pellets, Frozen, Freeze-dried, Flakes

Breeding type

Broadcast spawner

Breeding difficulty

Difficult

Sexing

Females are typically larger and rounder-bodied than males, especially noticeable in mated pairs; males are smaller and more slender

Target feeding

Beneficial

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Care guide

Overview

Reaching about three inches at most, this shrimp shows alternating red and white bands across its prickly-textured body, with oversized white antennae and pincers held forward like raised fists. It hides in reef crevices by day and forages at night, best kept singly or as a true pair since it fights its own kind and smaller shrimp. Stable parameters and copper-free water are essential around molting.

Care

This species does best in a mature reef tank with plenty of rockwork offering tight crevices and overhangs to retreat into during the day, becoming more active around dusk and at night. Stable water parameters matter more than chasing exact numbers, and sudden swings in salinity, pH, or temperature should be avoided, particularly around molting when the exoskeleton is soft and the animal is vulnerable. Moderate flow with good oxygenation suits it well, but strong current directed at its preferred hiding spot should be avoided. Only one individual should be kept per tank unless a confirmed male-female pair is established, since conspecifics fight aggressively.

Feeding

A scavenger by nature, this shrimp readily accepts sinking pellets, frozen meaty foods, and finely chopped seafood, along with any uneaten flake food that reaches the substrate. Feeding at night or dusk, when it naturally emerges to forage, tends to produce the best results. It is not a picky eater and will scavenge leftover food from the tank floor and rockwork rather than relying on target feeding.

Tank mates

Territorial toward its own kind, this shrimp will fight other coral banded shrimp unless housed as an established mated pair, and it can also harass or kill smaller ornamental shrimp such as peppermint or cleaner shrimp. It generally leaves fish, corals, and larger invertebrates alone, though it may walk over coral and anemone tissue while foraging, so enough space should be given that its long antennae do not brush against neighboring polyps. Avoid housing it with aggressive predators like triggers, lionfish, or large wrasses that may prey on it, especially soon after a molt.

Breeding

Coral banded shrimp form long-term monogamous pairs and will readily produce eggs when a true male-female pair is kept together, with the female carrying visible eggs under her abdomen. Successful rearing in the home aquarium is uncommon because the free-swimming larvae are extremely small and typically get pulled into filtration or removed by protein skimmers before completing their planktonic stage. Specialized larval rearing setups are needed for any real chance of raising offspring to juvenile stage.

Health

Most health problems trace back to unstable salinity or temperature, elevated nitrate, or exposure to copper-based medications, all of which this species tolerates poorly. During and shortly after molting it is soft-bodied and prone to hiding for a day or two, so failed molts, lethargy, or missing limbs should be watched for as signs of stress. Copper treatments must never be used in any tank housing this or other invertebrates.

Sources

1. Coral Banded Shrimp Invertebrate Care Guide | Top Shelf Aquatics
2. Banded Coral Shrimp: Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp for Marine Reef Aquariums – LiveAquaria
3. SHRIMP - BANDED CORAL Stenopus hispidus - Aquatics Unlimited
4. Keeping Coral Banded Shrimp | TFH Magazine

More Boxer shrimp

Blue Banded Coral ShrimpGold Banded Coral Shrimp