Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp care guide
Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp (Ancylocaris brevicarpalis) — minimum tank 60 L, temperature 24-26 °C, pH 8.1-8.4.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp (Ancylocaris brevicarpalis) is a marine partner shrimp of the family Palaemonidae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as an intermediate-level species. Tiny translucent shrimp with white spots and tail bands. Lives commensal with large carpet anemones, mantis shrimp burrows or sea cucumbers.
Taxonomy
- Family: Palaemonidae
- Genus: Ancylocaris
- Scientific name: Ancylocaris brevicarpalis
- Common synonyms: Glass Anemone Shrimp, White Patterned Anemone Shrimp
Habitat
Palaemonid partner shrimp are small, often translucent reef shrimp that live in association with anemones, corals and other invertebrates. Several species clean parasites from fish or shelter among the tentacles of host anemones for protection. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Indo-Pacific.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L (15.9 US gal)
- Adult size: 1-4 cm
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- KH: 8-12 °dKH
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Lifespan: 1-2 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore, taking a wide range of foods including meaty frozen foods, sinking pellets and detritus gathered from the rockwork.
Compatibility
The Aquairi knowledge base lists this species as peaceful. Suitable tank mates include Carpet anemones, Reef fish. It should be kept away from Hawkfish, Predatory fish. It associates with host anemones or corals for shelter and is generally reef-safe.
Breeding
Breeding requires an extended planktonic larval stage in open water before the young settle, which makes captive reproduction very difficult and rarely accomplished in home aquaria. Most specimens in the hobby are wild-collected.
Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp (Ancylocaris brevicarpalis) Breeding Guide
Overview
Ancylocaris brevicarpalis (also treated as Periclimenes brevicarpalis), the glass or peacock-tail anemone shrimp, is a small palaemonid of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, including Australia. It reaches about 0.5 to 1.0 inch in length and lives commensally with sea anemones, corals and jellyfish. The body is nearly transparent with white spots and orange black-edged spots on the tail fan.
Sexing
Females are larger than males and carry more white spots, while males reach a similar average body size. The species is reported as gonochoric (separate sexes) and monogamous, with pairs frequently sharing a single host.
Breeding Setup
Because the shrimp depends on a host, a stable pairing with a suitable anemone or large coral is the foundation for any reproductive activity. A settled monogamous pair on one host most closely matches the documented field condition.
Spawning & Berried Females
As a palaemonid shrimp the female carries fertilised eggs beneath her abdomen until hatching. Field reports describe pairs on the same host individual, consistent with monogamous reproduction.
Larval Care
Hatched larvae enter a planktonic phase before settlement. No whitelisted source documents a workable home protocol for rearing these tiny planktonic larvae to settlement.