Pistol Shrimpby Sarah Turcotte

…Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Family: Alpheidae

Genus: Alpheus

Species: Tiger shrimp

The pistol shrimp may only be 2cm long but can make a noise louder than Concorde's sonic

boom

Pistol Shrimp is nocturnal in habit and is therefore, active at

night.

A pistol shrimp’s

best friend

Coral reefs and sea grass beds; coral rubble, large stones, conch shells etc.,

associated with the sea

Habitat

Pistol Shrimp Diet

… one claw that serves as a typical pincher and one enlarged claw that they use to generate an underwater shockwave to stun smaller shrimps.

Respiration & Circulatory system

Movement

You may not of known… but shrimps in order to move pull

their abdomen in toward their body very quickly. This

motion propels them through the water

but because of their configuration it

means it is easier for them to be moving

backwards.

Adaptations

Reproduction

… in her third year, she can often lay more than 25,000

eggs

Moulting :

Cicada molting

known as sloughing, shedding, or for some species, ecdysis, is the

manner in which an animal routinely

casts off a part of its body

Predators

Because the

eyesight of a pistol

shrimp is not very

strong, the goby acts as a body

guard working for food and a

place to stay.

General Characteristics of the Pistol Shrimp

Did you know ??Pistol shrimp can create enough heat

from this claw that it is actually comparable to the sun’s

temperatureWhen the pistol shrimp

snaps this claw shut it

will generate a cavitations

bubble which is

basically a shockwave. This bubble

will momentarily

reach temperature

s of 4700 degrees

Celsius!!!! 

Don’t worry, if you happen to be in the area of the pistol shrimp, it will only feel like getting hit with an

elastic band.

Pistol Shrimp sonic weapon