Pistol Shrimp (aka Snapping, Cracking, Popping Shrimp)

naisho

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One of the interesting sea invertebrates.

Did you know there is a type of shrimp dubbed as "Pistol Shrimp" as a nickname?
Care to figure out why?

The latin classification for it is Alpheidae. I don't know the meaning of words behind the name, if someone can enlighten us on that.

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Why are these shrimp special? Well, they're like your usual shrimp of course.
Except for the "handgun". Yes.. as the name implies, they have a mechanism similar to a firearm.
Between those regular claws it is capable of producing an ultrasonic sound.

Notes say that if this was to be compared with all the organisms in the ocean, this is even louder than a whale. It's been measured to around ~200dB at one meter, even if you can't hear it surely you can feel it vibrate.

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You can observe a youtube of this in slow-mo and in detailed action here.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKPrGxB1Kzc"]YouTube - Pistol Shrimp[/ame]
The yellow+red is a regular shrimp as you will see it has no claws.​

The speed of the "bullet" which is actually an air bubble, is said to go around 60mph (100km/h for those outside of USA), and the temperature enclosed in the bubble is up to 9000° Celsius. It usually shocks most opponents, or kills smaller ones. Some of these shrimp are so powerful, they can even fight and kill crabs!

check one out here: [ame]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5219672612991804355[/ame]​

Another interesting thing about the pistol shrimp is that they can make friends with another species of animal in the sea. Only one specific type of animal though. That fish is called the Goby. Gobies come in all different colors, shape, and sizes. But it doesn't matter to the shrimp, they usually get friendly with any kind.

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This mutual kind of friendship has a technical term, it's called symbiosis. The Goby acts as a security guard / watchman while the shrimp provides it with food. The Goby stays very close to the burrow of the shrimp. The shrimp has bad eyes, so what it does is every time it comes out of the home, it feels the Goby to know if everything is OK. If the Goby is not there or seems startled, the shrimp knows that something is wrong.

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You can eat them if you want but most people who have one don't. I think they cost around ~$10-$50+ range depending on what species and type you buy. The aquarium has to be decently sized, over double digit gallons, plus needs natural habitat setting for the shrimp because it likes to burrow in the pure ocean sand.

More about them at wiki:
Alpheidae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
i can't view those but will look up at this thread later.

my question is, what made you post it about the pistol shrimps and goby fish? did it something happen to you?

I never knew about the pistol shrimps before. cool.
 
Apart of my hobbies consist of researching.
I saw this; analyzed it, documented and researched it.

I felt not many people here know of interesting and special animal behaviors in nature, it seemed only worthy to post so that they can learn of new things.
Plus it is completely free of profit.
 
Yeah, I'll take shrimp scampi in garlic butter, please.
 
i had popcorn shrimp for supper last night.:naughty:
 
I want a different shrimp from the dangerous shooting shrimp to make up my scampi! :P
 
Are you studying to be a Marine

Biologist?

The fish tongue parasite, now this!


I find marine species are fascinating!!

Especially new or rare ones!
 
Isn't that the shrimp does trap victims in a split second? I saw them before on TV and said damn, that's fast!
 
Don't be afraid if the pistol shrimp decides to shoot you, shrimp eaters!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZZRe9sKcfw[/ame]
(Lobster, but who cares!)

Are you studying to be a Marine Biologist?

The fish tongue parasite, now this!

I find marine species are fascinating!!

Especially new or rare ones!


Not a marine biologist, but microbiology to be exact! Pathogens, bacteriae, virii, parasites.. all those crazy things yeah.

I like marine species too, they are very interesting. We are always discovering more and more. Much of the dark depths is still to be uncovered since no one is down there. The only animals that don't need to rely on a source of energy from the sun.

I still have more interesting creatures lined up, non-marine bio too. stay tuned sometime.. ;)
 
Apart of my hobbies consist of researching.
I saw this; analyzed it, documented and researched it.

I felt not many people here know of interesting and special animal behaviors in nature, it seemed only worthy to post so that they can learn of new things.
Plus it is completely free of profit.

Crap! cat lost! :laugh2:


If i see like this tiny pistol shrimp then i would thought it was some crab. now i know what pistol shrimp look like. Thanks for posting it here for free. :cool2:
 
The latin classification for it is Alpheidae. I don't know the meaning of words behind the name, if someone can enlighten us on that.

Alpheidae is a family name of Caridean snapping shrimp which is characterized by having asymmetrical claws.

A Scientific classification of Snapping Shrimp.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Caridea
Superfamily: Alpheoidea
Family: Alpheidae

I could explain each of the classification on the list above but it is a lot to diagnostic features of invertebrate for snapping shrimp.
 
Not a marine biologist, but microbiology to be exact! Pathogens, bacteriae, virii, parasites.. all those crazy things yeah.

I like marine species too, they are very interesting. We are always discovering more and more. Much of the dark depths is still to be uncovered since no one is down there. The only animals that don't need to rely on a source of energy from the sun.

I still have more interesting creatures lined up, non-marine bio too. stay tuned sometime.. ;)


Cool one of the things, my Daughter wants to be when she grows up! (Marine biologist) :D I showed the Wonderful new things found in the water. She though the strange sea lives were cool!

She has always been fascinated by science and biology.

keep 'em coming! :ty:
 
Imagine if Pistol Shrimp is giant than our size. We're gone for a sure. Watch out for sonic-boom! Where is Guile when we need one?!?!
 
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