Peppermint Shrimp

[Delphinus]

They are really quite different. The problem is that camel shrimp are sometimes called peppermint shrimp because of they're patterning looks like ... well .. peppermint. Another case of common name applying to more than one species.

There are several "peppermint" shrimp in the Lysmata genus. I believe that the ones that go after Aiptasia spp. come from the Carribean. There is also a species from the south Pacific and a species that lives in the colder waters of California and Baja peninsula. To the untrained eye they look identical.

Not 100% sure of this, but I beleive ORA does have a successful breeding program of Lysmata wurdemanni so sometime captive bred specimens are available.

The problem is, as mentioned, the Carribean is a mess right now. And at the best of times, availability of this species tends to be seasonal. So it may just be an off time to try to find some. Patience though, they're a vendor's staple so eventually some will show up at your LFS of choice - just keep visiting after every order comes in. But ... As if there are people who don't do that anyhow.

HTH