Lysmata wurdemanni
Lysmata wurdemanni, commonly known as the peppermint shrimp, is a species of shrimp. Description It reaches in length, and is named for the bright red stripes on its otherwise translucent body, which are reminiscent of peppermint candies such as a candy cane. Its eggs, by contrast, are bright green. Distribution Lysmata wurdemanni was originally described from specimens collected at Key West, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina. Its range extends along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States from Long Island to Florida, and along the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Port Aransas, Texas. It may also occur in the northern Caribbean Sea, but this has not been confirmed. Reproduction Lysmata wurdemanni is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite. This means that it begins as a male but may later become a hermaphrodite. It has four moults as a male before changing sexes to become a euhermaphrodite. However, under certain conditions some males never change to hermaphrodites. In the euhermaphrodite stage the shrimp act as a male between moults and as a female immediately following a moult. During this hermaphroditic stage the shrimp gradually lose their male organs, likely because more energy is being allocated to the development of female reproductive organs.