what is this?

[rbnice1]

Being sold as a purplish pistol shrimp.

Looking at it, it looks like a reef lobster, there is no pistol on 1 of its arms. Can anyone clear this up for me?

http://picasaweb.google.com/kmkocot...CI7r2Y24pq2geQ&feat=email#5407449032687398434

 

[Guygettnby]

looks like a pistol too me... defilently not a lobster.

 

[LeslieH]

It's an alpheid in the Alpheus formosus species group. Look closely - both big claws really are there, they're just held side by side.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

it's an alpheid in the alpheus formosus species group. Look closely - both big claws really are there, they're just held side by side.

+1

 

[rbnice1]

ok if this is a pistol what kind? Closest I see is a bullseye, and one place says it wont pair with a goby and another place says it will. I was hoping for something to pair my randell's goby with.

 

[LeslieH]

There are a couple of species which look very similar to each other & belong in the Alpheus formosus species group. They are not goby associates.

 

[rbnice1]

Ok have the shrimp here and I really dont think its a pistol both claws look the same.

Here is a pic:

Only thing I can find in google that looks remotley like it is maybe a blue legged banded shrimp?

 

[LeslieH]

Pistols are alpheid shrimp. Some alpheid genera have 2 big claws, some have 1 big claw & 1 medium or small one, some have 2 medium claws (like the Alpheus formosus complex) some genera have 2 small or even tiny claws.

 

[rbnice1]

Hmm never seen a pistol shrimp that had no pistol claw.

 

[LeslieH]

Pistol shrimp is really a bad common name for this family since the majority of species don't have big claws.:rollface:

 

[charlesr1958]

What I found surprising is that the so called "pistol" shrimp are not the only group that "snaps", many of the Caridean also have functional plungers on their claws and when startled or being defensive, can and do make audible noise although not approaching the knock out, deadly snap that the more famous pistol shrimp are known for.

Chuck

 

[geffhardy2]

looks like a indian pistal.

 

[lildraken]

I think that's a pistol shrimp from the caribbean of the Alpheus species. They live in curly Q anemones. I could be wrong but that is my guess

 

[Tennyson]

I think that's a pistol shrimp from the caribbean of the Alpheus species. They live in curly Q anemones. I could be wrong but that is my guess

+1 something like that
also if you look closely at the pic, the claw on the left (the shrimps left claw) is slightly bigger and more robust then the the right claw (the shrimp's right claw) so it is a pistol IMO

 

[LeslieH]

The common name is actually due to the gunshot noise that some alpheid shrimp make, not to the size of the claw.

Here's a comparison photo of the species in the Alpheus formosus complex - http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/alpheus/Pics/Aformosus_cx.jpg The color is darker than normal because of the black background

 

[lildraken]

So any updates on this shrimp? did he pair up with your goby? nevertheless it's a pretty shrimp.