Details of the Peppermint shrimps distribution range are not fully understood but it is known to be found from N/East QLD through the NT to as far south as Onslow in Western Australia. Peppermint shrimp otherwise known as Peppy’s are found ranging from intertidal zones to 55m  depth. 

Peppy’s are nocturnal hiding in rock crevices by day only active by night or when food draws them out. 

Aquarium care.
Peppy’s will readily scavenge the aquarium for sustenance eating algae’s, food scraps and importantly love to find any aptisa anemones. Peppy’s will make short work of these other wise problem anemones able to peel the anemones off the rock work with their legs and quickly stuff the whole anemone into their mouths. 

Peppy’s are ideally useful in sea horse aquariums, being a harmless clean up crew member that cannot hurt the sea horses plus with the added bonus of being able to quickly eliminate aptisa anemones. The aptisa anemones sting the sea horses causing lesions susceptible to infections. 

Concern is often raised “If they eat aptisa wont they eat coral polyps”, to date no problems have been encountered or reported to us at Oceanarium by our customers. We do keep large numbers of peppy's in our own holding systems and do see some coral predation. A large number of Peppy's are capable of devouring coral tissue to the detriment of the coral we recommend hobbyists keep only a few in reef tanks and not to overpopulate to eliminate an aptisa problem.

Feeding.
No target feeding is required in most community aquariums. In some situations where little sustenance is available from the aquarium small occasional feeds of fresh fish, prawn or commercial aquarium food is adequate. 

Breeding.
Tank raised specimens are readily available in the market. Reputedly they are one of the easier shrimp to culture with a larval stage of only14 days much less than many shrimp species. 

Peppermint shrimp larva are raised on newly hatched artema.

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Last modified: 04/14/10.