several unusual shrimps for ID

[clippo]

anyone got any suggestions for these? I know broadly what most of them they are but lack any photographic reference...

1. a Stenopus sp. I think but the pale colouration seems unusual?

2. Not sure but possibly from the Pontoniinae?

3. Is this just a pale Alpheus randalli, or a different species?

4. I appreciate there are lots of Alpheid shrimps.... this one might be unidentifiable i guess!

5. I managed to ID this one once before but seem to have lost the reference... again, an Alpheid of course.

6. Another Alpheid.... maybe A. formosus? colouration seems slightly different.

 

[LeslieH]

The first one is Stenopus zanzibaricus. Second, is a long-arm pontoninae species that's either a Periclimenes or Cuapetes; many of the long-arm species have been switched from Periclimenes to Cuapetes so it's hard to tell. Alpheus randalli is a complex that includes several morphologically similar species so that belongs to the complex. Color patterns of the alpheids in pics 4 & 5 are common in several areas so they can't be identified by mere mortals. The last one is similar to Alpheus tricolor except that the tips of the chela are white in tricolor (members of the A. formosus complex have a lightning bolt down the side).

 

[clippo]

thanks leslie - I'm glad you saw this thread!

 

[charlesr1958]

I believe the second one is a Cuapetes tenuipes

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/car003.html

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/Caridean.html

Chuck

 

[LeslieH]

Could be Chuck, at least in the species complex.

 

[charlesr1958]

I hear ya, Dr. Bruce has challenged me to try and sort out that complex. The reason being was that I found what appears to be the same species yet has differing coloration, I simply can't tell them apart given their anatomy, and now of course, I can't find another specimen in the darker variation...lol The one shown above is very familiar to me as it is extremely abundant here, so much so I hardly notice them anymore.

Chuck

 

[clippo]

thanks Chuck.

thanks Leslie.... for the crab comments in my galleries too.

btw...if the first one is Stenopus zanzibaricus, are the ones in the images below S. scutellatus? They seem to both be commonly known as the 'Gold Coral Banded Shrimp' in literature... I believe the white antennae might indicate S. scutellatus, and red S. zanzibaricus.. is that right?

 

[clippo]

do you think number 5 could be Alpheus leviusculus?

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

I believe it would be hard to ID some pistol shrimps. I caught a couple from a local beach here in florida. When I caught them they were brown, more dull than your #4 picture, but very similar. I feed them pellets, brine, flakes, clam, oysters, fish, nori, squid, mysid, octopus.. and more (just a homemade recipe.) Now here is a pic after about 5 months of having them.

Now I posted this because I don't know exactlly how to ID them, but if color is the way, then how could you ID if they all change colors this dramatically? Also if anyone knows the ID of this one, could you let me know? Thanks guys, and nice pics up there clippo.

 

[LeslieH]

Yes, that's scutellatus. You could call one the IP Gold CBS and the other the Caribbean Gold CBS.

There are a lot of alpheid species with those bands on the abdomen. It's such a common color pattern!

And Scott's absolutely right about their ability to change color. they often have day patterns & night patterns & inbetween patterns & food related colors. The color pigments are contained in chromatophores that the shrimp can expand & contract. When they're all contracted the shrimp will appear pale with slight color; if they're all expanded the shrimp may be very colorful with a strong pattern; and of course the shrimp can contract some, expand others at any time.

 

[clippo]

thanks Leslie... and beautiful pistol Scott. Good shot too!

 

[Scott-CapeCoral]

Thanks, I think these guys are really interesting. However, they do bother you at night from across the house while you are trying to watch a movie

I wish we had different species here where I live, but at least we have this one. I catch really nice porcelain crabs at the same spot too. Those are really neat as well