wierd shrimp/lobster ID pls!

[clippo]

not a great pic I know.... I've exhausted my sources and can't see aything that looks like this.... any got any suggestions?

 

[iamwhatiam52]

WOW! That IS an oddball.
Looks like it lives far from light, no color, and the eyes look small and pale.
How big is it?

 

[clippo]

thanks Ian - it was approx 3 inches long.

This was taken at TMCs depot in Manchester (UK) actually - wasn't able to establish what it was from them.

 

[LeslieH]

it's a thalassinidea missing one of the major chelae. These are the mud shrimp & ghost shrimp. They're more likely to be found at bait shops rather than LFS. Mud & sand are the usual habitats and as the burrows may extend for many feet & have many side chambers they are not at all suited for the usual small tanks. That's kind of a pity as they are quite reefsafe (detritivores, scavengers, and herbivores) and have interesting behaviors. Some are farmers - they collect drift seagrass & algae & let it decompose in special chambers of the burrow, then eat the microbial fauna that grows on it.

 

[clippo]

thanks! - I've seen an Axiopsis sp. shrimp before (so i believe).... this looks quite different but I' go with your suggestion! :thumbsup:

 

[LeslieH]

Axiidae is just one of the families within the Thalassinidea & one which (to me anyway) look like robust alpheids with 2 big claws. This one belongs in another family. Look for images of Upogebia and Callianassa - they'll be much more similar to your critter.