Sexy Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) Breeding Guide

Thor amboinensis is a tiny pantropical commensal shrimp on anemones and corals. Females brood eggs, but larvae pass through planktonic zoea stages hard to rear at home.

Overview

Thor amboinensis, the sexy shrimp, grows to about 13 millimetres and has a pantropical distribution spanning the Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is olive-brown with white blue-edged patches and characteristically carries its abdomen curved upward with the tail fan above its head. It forms a commensal relationship with a shallow-water sea anemone or mushroom coral.

Conditioning

The shrimp feeds on host tentacle tissue and on mucus-trapped planktonic particles, and scavenges meaty scraps in aquaria. In the Bahamas several individuals share one anemone, each occupying a distinct region, so a stable host and small group reflect its natural setting.

Breeding Setup

A healthy host anemone or mushroom coral and a small group provide the conditions in which the shrimp settles and pairs. Common hosts recorded in Bermuda include the carpet, stinging and adhesive anemones.

Spawning & Berried Females

The female carries the fertilised eggs under her abdomen until they are ready to hatch, following the typical pattern for the genus.

Larval Care

Larvae pass through multiple planktonic zoea stages before metamorphosis and are attracted to potential host anemones by chemical and visual cues, showing generalist host acceptance. Rearing these planktonic stages through settlement is not documented in a practical home protocol by whitelisted sources.