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Related FAQs: Pistol Shrimps 1, Pistol Shrimps 2, Alpheid ID, Alpheid Behavior, Alpheid Compatibility, Alpheid Selection, Alpheid Systems, Pistol Shrimp and Goby Biotopes, Alpheid Feeding, Alpheid Disease, Alpheid Reproduction, & Cleaner Shrimps 1, Cleaner Shrimps 2, Coral Banded Shrimp, Dancing Shrimp, Harlequin Shrimp, Saron Shrimp, Shrimp Identification, Shrimp Selection, Shrimp Behavior, Shrimp Compatibility, Shrimp Systems, Shrimp Feeding, Shrimp Reproduction, Shrimp Disease, Crustacean Identification, Crustacean Selection, Crustacean Behavior, Crustacean Compatibility, Crustacean Systems, Crustacean Feeding, Crustacean Disease, Crustacean Reproduction, Related Articles: Shrimps, A Few Common Shrimps for the Marine Aquarium by James W. Fatherree, Shrimp Gobies, Stenopus hispidus/Coral Banded Shrimp, Dancing Shrimp, Harlequin Shrimp, Saron Shrimp, Periclimenes holthuisi Pix, Biological Cleaners, /A Diversity of Aquatic Life Pistol Shrimp, Family Alpheidae
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Oh, pinchy boy!
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Family Alpheidae, Pistol Shrimp Seldom seen, often heard... and the results of their "shooting" known far and wide... the Alpheids can be easily identified (if you can find them) by their very short eye stalks and one much larger "pistol" claw. This specialized appendage is capable of punching holes in all crustacean exoskeletons, even many shellfish! Alpheus and Synalpheus species are the notable symbionts with Shrimp Gobies. Pistol Shrimp are the predominant crustaceans on the world's reefs... and so you are likely to run into them... they eat most all types of foods... and if kept fed will often leave other crustaceans and mollusks alone. See happily fed specimen above in title bar. | Snapping Shrimps, family Alpheidae. Noted for their noise making capacity, myths re the power of their large claw (a .22 caliber, tank-cracking...) and commensal to mutualistic relationships with fishes (mainly Gobies) and invertebrates. | 
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| Synalpheus stimpsonii (Man 1888). White body with varying dark markings. A crinoid (Comanthina, Oxycomanthus) commensal that often displays contrasting color to its host. East Indo-West Pacific; Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia. N. Sulawesi pix. |  
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| Unidentified Alpheid in a crinoid. N. Sulawesi pic. Yes, it really is THIS red! | 
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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