The Emperor Shrimp, Periclimenes sp., is an incredibly awesome, yet nuanced invertebrate in the home aquarium trade. The Emperor Shrimp pairs in a symbiotic relationship with nudibranchs and other sea slugs in order to best obtain nutrients in the form or fecal matter and detritus.

Your aquarium must have a sea slug or the Emperor Shrimp will not survive, this is important.

The Emperor Shrimp does not need much space, a 2 gallon tank is enough, but when caring for an Emperor Shrimp, you are effectively caring for a sea slug which will in turn care for the shrimp. These are the nuances that make the aquarium trade so fascinating.

Tanks should be well stocked with algae and detritus for the slug and the shrimp. Avoid housing with larger fish that will see the Emperor Shrimp as a nice meal. Overall, the nuanced tank environment required for the Emperor Shrimp must be met before this animal can thrive. If so, this is a beautiful specimen and a truly fascinating piece of nature found inside a tank.