Whats so rare about this cleaner skunk shrimp

[lowincwrx]

http://liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=41033
dd has it as rare. is it because the area it came from or CITES

what is CITES?

 

[lowincwrx]

after a little investigation i found out the tail on the Lysmata grabhami has no spots where as the Lysmata amboinensis has spots instead of the countinuous lines.

but still what are CITES?

 

[rydr119]

Maybe b/c it's from the caribbean instead of the pacific? I have no clue what CITES means.

 

[philter4]

CITES is Convention on Trade in Endagered Species, and L garbhami isn't listed as far as I know, the main reason they are more money is they are deeper water usually deeper then 60 ft and they are no where as common as the pacific skunk cleaner. I've been keeping them for as long as I've lived in FL and they are hard to find, they also don't like eachother, usually they are single or in a pair, never in groups like the pacific skunk cleaner. In HI I've seen 100's of skunk cleaners on a single ledge in 25 ft of water.

 

[rydr119]

So you can really find them in S. Fl?

 

[philter4]

If you dive deep enough you can find them, I usually look for them on patch reefs out past the 3rd reef out of Lake Worth inlet, or Palm Beach inlet. The patches are in 110-120 ft, most of the charter dive boats know where they are. I have found them in as little as 60 ft, but only rarely. On juno ledge I've seen them on lg green moray eels and that dive is about 90 ft.

 

[rydr119]

Im not certified but I will keep an eye out next time I am snorkeling.

 

[lowincwrx]

thanks for the answers philter4. i'm always trying to learn and research new things and sometimes i just have to break down and ask.