Most aquarists are familiar with the coral banded shrimp (Stenopus hispidus), a hobby classic thanks to its stunning candy cane stripes. But did you know that the genus Stenopus contains eleven species in total, some of which are also available in the aquarium trade? Let’s meet the rest of the family.

What’s a boxer shrimp?

Not a real shrimp, for starters! The genus Stenopus belongs to the Stenopodidae, not the true shrimp of the family Caridea. Their “boxer” claws are what gives them away. True shrimp that sport enlarged claws exist (those of the genus Macrobrachium look particularly unwieldy), but it’s always the second pair of walking legs that’s bigger than the rest. In the Stenopodidea, in contrast, it’s the third. 

The closest relatives of the genus Stenopus are an obscure family of sponge-dwelling shrimp and a lone troglobite species found in a single saltwater pool in the Bahamas. Neither of these would work well in the aquarium, as they’re simply too specialized and dependent on their hosts. Boxer shrimp are a different story! The most popular by far is and will probably always be Stenopus hispidus, the coral banded shrimp, but a few other species are becoming increasingly easy to find in (online) aquarium stores.

Although the boxer shrimp vary in size and aggression level, all thrive in normal reef parameters. They will make their home in caves or overhangs, venturing out at night to find their meals. It’s best to keep just one shrimp or a mated pair: all members of the genus are territorial towards conspecifics.

Did you know? Wild boxer shrimp offer cleaning services to (predatory) fish. They have no qualms about hanging out in a moray eel’s mouth! In the aquarium, you can offer them any kind of sinking fish food.

Meet the boxers

There are eleven currently recognized species of boxer shrimp out there, but not all are available in the aquarium hobby. Some hail from deep water and are pretty obscure. The others range from very common to very rare. You may have to do some searching and supplier hunting if you’d like to keep the uncommon boxers.

Stenopus hispidus

When an aquarist mentions a boxer shrimp, they’re almost always talking about this species. Also known as the coral banded shrimp, Stenopus hispidus is found in tropical waters around the world. It’s a common sight while diving, although you usually have to peer upside-down into crevices if you want to spot them!

You’ll need an aquarium of at least 30 gallons to keep this superstar of the genus, as it also happens to be the resident tank. It grows quite large (up to 4” including the oversized claws) and can’t be kept with other shrimp due to its territorial nature. Even fish and corals aren’t always safe; although some aquarists report no problems whatsoever, others describe their coral banded shrimp causing all-around mayhem. 

I think their colors are more than worth it, but if you keep particularly precious livestock, maybe one of the smaller Stenopus species will work better for you.

Stenopus tenuirostris

Photo by Rickard Zerpe

If the aforementioned coral banded shrimp sounds like a risky addition to your reef, the much smaller Stenopus tenuirostris (blue boxer shrimp) makes for an excellent alternative. It tops out at no more than 1.5” or so and gets along swimmingly with most peaceful tankmates, including other shrimp — so long as they’re not fellow Stenopus.

You’re not sacrificing looks by opting for a blue boxer shrimp over a coral banded one, either. It’s more like you’re swapping size for color, because the blue version really is unusually good-looking. It keeps the candy cane banding, but also sports a stunning violet (rather than white) body that makes it impossible to overlook.

Stenopus zanzibaricus

Although a candy cane-striped impostor — probably an undescribed species — is sometimes sold as S. zanzibaricus, the real deal actually sports white “boxing gloves”. The right to bare arms, if you will! Also known as the Zanzibar shrimp, referencing the origins of the type specimen, this species is in fact found throughout much of the tropical Indo-Pacific.

The Zanzibar shrimp grows to a little over two inches in length, making it a medium-sized boxer shrimp. I would feel comfortable keeping one in an aquarium of 20 gallons or larger, or 30 gallons for a pair. It’ll attack members of its own genus, but is considered somewhat shy overall and shouldn’t be combined with overly assertive tankmates.

Stenopus pyrsonotus

The most unusual of the boxer shrimp to be found for sale in specialized aquarium stores is Stenopus pyrsonotus, also called the cave or flameback coral shrimp. It lacks the typical banding, instead looking almost like a doppelgänger of the skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis. (Is there a researcher in the house? I’d love to know whether it’s a case of convergent evolution towards a “cleaner signal” color scheme or more of a Batesian mimicry situation, with Stenopus acting as a cleaner mimic to obtain easy meals.)

The cave shrimp is one of the heftier of its genus, but doesn’t quite reach the same length its coral banded cousin does. A single specimen should do well in a 20-30 gallon system. I haven’t kept this species myself, and there isn’t much out there about their temperament; I’d be cautious combining it with other shrimp, but it’s probably unlikely to bother fish.

Stenopus scutellatus

photo by Pauline Walsh Jacobson

Also known as the golden coral shrimp, S. scutellatus combines the red and white banding typical of this genus with a lovely golden body. It’s naturally found in the Western Atlantic, including in Florida, and inhabits environments ranging from coral reefs to seagrass meadows. Like other boxer shrimp, it’s not picky about depth and has been trawled from waters as deep as 600 ft.

The golden coral shrimp grows to around 1.5” inches in length, meaning a water volume of 15–20 gallons should work well for a single specimen. Though uncommon in the hobby, you should be able to find S. scutellatus in some specialized aquarium stores and online. Don’t confuse it with S. cyanoscelis, which looks similar but sports darker coloration on its back. Or do — their care and requirements are pretty much identical.

BONUS: Stenopus spinosus

photo by Fernando Herranz Martin

Orange is the new candy cane! The lovely Stenopus spinosus is my favorite in the genus, but it’s very uncommon in the hobby as a result of its Mediterranean origin. Unlike tropical waters, the Med experiences low winter temperatures and seasonal variation that are difficult to replicate in our home aquariums. If you ever do set up a Mediterranean community system, though, this colorful decapod is a must.

Sources & further reading

Bruce, A. J. (1976). Studies on Indo-West Pacific Stenopodidea, 1. Stenopus zanzibaricus sp. nov., a new species from East Africa. Crustaceana, 90-102. 

Goy, J. W. (1992). A new species of Stenopus from Australia, with a redescription of Stenopus cyanoscelis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea). Journal of Natural History, 26(1), 79-102. 

Goy, J. W., & Devaney, D. M. (1980). Stenopus pyrsonotus, a new species of stenopodidean shrimp from the Indo-West Pacific region (Crustacea: Decapoda). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 93(3), 781-796.

Krieger, J., Hörnig, M. K., Sandeman, R. E., Sandeman, D. C., & Harzsch, S. (2020). Masters of communication: the brain of the banded cleaner shrimp Stenopus hispidus (Olivier, 1811) with an emphasis on sensory processing areas. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 528(9), 1561-1587.