Lets See your Prawn Goby and Pistol Shrimp Pair! post pics here.

[lildraken]

Watching the symbiotic relationship between a pistol shrimp and goby is such a fascinating thing. Previously, I've always taken people's word for it that the colorful Michael's pistol shrimp (bullseye pistol shrimp) Does not pair with a goby but recently I found that mine lives with a blue spot goby very happily.
In this industry, you can learn a lot from what people tell you but many times you have to see with your own eyes before you believe it. There is one online store that advertises that Alpheus armatus shrimps will pair with a goby but I've never seen it, and when I questioned them, they responded that they certainly do and they even have a pair. I always thought they were symbiotic with anemones of the Caribbean.
It would be nice to have a library of Pistol Shrimp and Goby Pairing records on reef central. Lets see your goby / shrimp pair!.... plus, it gives us an excuse to show off our pictures. :beer:

If you can, please identify the species.

 

[lildraken]

Michael's pistol shrimp and blue spot goby pair

Michael's pistol shrimp and blue spot goby pair

Blue Spot Goby + Bullseye pistol shrimp​

 

[LIONFISH5740]

Love them! :thumbsup:
We have purchased a snapping shrimp (Alpheus sp.) from an online source. It has different colors than the one in the pic but is beautiful and fun to watch. It is a voracious eater and likes to snap at me when i'm in the tank cleaning the glass or putting in new corals. In fact it has molted twice in the month or so that we've had it. We haven't got a goby yet to pair with him but are keeping an eye out for just the right one One of the funnier things that we have seen is it chasing our clown fish around a coral trying to take the fishes food from him.

 

[LIONFISH5740]

Forgot to add a pic if you care.

 

[inselaffe]

Blue Spot Goby + Bullseye pistol shrimp​

I was always told bullseyes wont host with a goby (which yours does) or is this only the bullseyes with the purple claws?

 

[lildraken]

types of bullseye pistol shrimps

types of bullseye pistol shrimps

I was always told bullseyes wont host with a goby (which yours does) or is this only the bullseyes with the purple claws?

I'm not sure. Hopefully someone will post a pic of an Alpheus soror with purple claws paired with a goby.

This pair is not as closely knit as my other pair.

This one with a very large Blue spot watchman and his tiger pistol shrimp. They are very dependent of each other. The tiger pistol is almost blind whereas the bullseye pistol seems to have better eye sight. They will often move about independent of each other but will share the same cave and tolerate one another. I've never seen the BP shovel sand and he sometimes moves about the rock work.

The Tiger pistol and the BSW are almost inseparable except when the goby sees food and darts out of the hole after it. I've never seen my Tiger Pistol leave the sand bed to explore the rockwork.

 

[inselaffe]

thats interesting to know, i might buy one then one day. I have a randals on order to go with my yasha in my nano.

 

[small alien]

Anyone else?

 

[Gill_bucket]

 

[Gill_bucket]

 

[fdonophan]

My watchman goby has actually befriended my banded serpent star - its the oddest thing! It paces in front of it, and passes food back to it. I'll try to get a pic tonight when I feed them.

 

[small alien]

Please do. That sounds awesome.

 

[fdonophan]

I had to swap to a new tank last week, and since they were the last critters to be scooped, they bunked in the same tupperware for a few hours. Once the star settled somewhere, the goby snuggled up between two tentacles and they stayed that way. They are both very small - the serpent's body an inch or so, and the goby maybe 1.5"

They are in a tough spot to photograph, but I'll do my best!

 

[fdonophan]

I haven't forgotten you guys, I just can't CATCH them! They were all cozied up in a perfectly visible cave this afternoon, and I swear in the 2 seconds I turned my back to grab my camera the goby had wandered off somewhere...

I'll sneak a pic soon as I can!

 

[fdonophan]

As promised - the goby and the serpent star! It took me FOREVER to catch a good picture...the goby has gotten familiar enough with me that he doesn't dart out of sight as soon as he sees me...

 

[cjtice]

This is my Wheelers and Tiger This pair is awesome! They set up shop right in front center of my 90 and are always ready to welcome me.

I recently lost this pair, the pistol disappeared so I got a new one. He then disappeared then a month later the goby disappeared. I wonder if there is something in the tank (30g) cause I also had a brittle star disappear durring the same time.

It was Id'd as a YWG here.

 

[Just2Many]

That is so cool!!

Anyone have a diamond goby hosted?

 

[Yurivd]

How old do pistol shrimps get
My bullseye pistol shrimp has been in my tank for ofer 2 years now

 

[jlanger]

Here's a pic of our Randall's Goby that is paired with a Tiger pistol shrimp.

-JASON

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Not sure if this is really a "prawn Goby" but...