Pistol and Cleaner Shrimp Codexery

Alpheidae

A shrimp family known for its powerful snapping claw and ocean noise.

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Alpheidae, known as snapping or pistol shrimp, are a family of caridean shrimp with an enlarged claw on one first-leg pair.[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumArthropoda
  3. CladePancrustacea
  4. ClassMalacostraca
  5. OrderDecapoda
  6. SuborderPleocyemata
  7. InfraorderCaridea
  8. FamilyAlpheidae

Named by Rafinesque, 1815

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Alpheidae (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Number of species
about 1,119
Number of genera
38 or more
Largest genus
Alpheus, with over 330 species
Second largest genus
Synalpheus, with over 160 species
Typical length
3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in)
Snap sound level
peak pressure level of 218 decibels relative to one micropascal

Facts from the source article.

How it changed

The development of powerful snaps is linked to an "orbital hood" that encloses the eyes in Alpheus and Synalpheus species.[2] These colonies have a single large queen and offspring divided into workers and soldiers.[3] Hunting, communication, predator defense, burrowing, and rock-boring are all functions served by the versatile snapping claw.[4] Snapping behavior occurs in certain Palaemonidae species as well.[5]

Multiple independent origins of snapping are believed to have occurred within Alpheidae.[5] The orbital hood is thought by scientists to dampen shockwaves, thereby shielding the shrimp from neurotrauma.[2]

What the maker and period sources say

The same source notes many species have one claw larger than half the shrimp's body.[6] When released, the snap emits a wave of bubbles capable of stunning larger fish and breaking small glass jars.[6] That bubble reaches speeds of 25 m/s and a peak pressure level of 218 dB re 1 μPa.[7] According to a 1970 encyclopedia, snapping shrimp reach lengths of 3 to 5 cm.[6]

A short, broad-spectrum flash of light is emitted by the collapsing cavitation bubble, as reported in a 2001 Nature paper.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Alpheidae", Global Biodiversity Information Facility (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chow, "Distinct suites of pre- and post-adaptations indicate independent evolutionary pathways of snapping claws in the shrimp family Alpheidae (Decapoda: Caridea)", Evolution, 1 November 2021, p. 2898–2910; Kingston, "Snapping shrimp have helmets that protect their brains by dampening shock waves", Current Biology, August 22, 2022, p. 3576–3583.e3 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: J. E. Duffy, "Eusociality in a coral-reef shrimp", Nature, 1996, p. 512–514; Duffy, "Multiple origins of eusociality among sponge-dwelling shrimps (Synalpheus)", Evolution, 2000, p. 503–516 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: David Hambling, "Why the US military is listening to shrimp", bbc.com, 17 June 2022; Chow, "Distinct suites of pre- and post-adaptations indicate independent evolutionary pathways of snapping claws in the shrimp family Alpheidae (Decapoda: Caridea)", Evolution, 1 November 2021, p. 2898–2910; Fischer, R., and W. Meyer. 1985 Observations on rock boring by Alpheus saxidomus (Crustacea: Alpheidae). Mar. Biol 89:213–219 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Morphological phylogeny of alpheid shrimps: parallel preadaptation and the origin of a key morphological innovation, the snapping claw", Evolution, 2006, p. 2507–2528; Kaji, T., A. Anker, C. S. Wirkner, and A. R. Palmer 2018. Parallel saltational evolution of ultrafast movements in snapping shrimp claws. Curr. Biol 28:106–113; Chow, "Distinct suites of pre- and post-adaptations indicate independent evolutionary pathways of snapping claws in the shrimp family Alpheidae (Decapoda: Caridea)", Evolution, 1 November 2021, p. 2898–2910 (original n en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, Volume 1", Marshall Cavendish, 1970, p. 2366 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Versluis, "How Snapping Shrimp Snap: Through Cavitating Bubbles", Science, 2000-09-22, p. 2114–2117; "How snapping shrimp snap: through cavitating bubbles", Science, 2000, p. 2114–2117 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Alpheidae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Snapping shrimp make flashing bubbles", Nature, 2001, p. 477–478; Williams, "Sun Fact Sheet", NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 1 July 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Alpheidae (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Caridea, Sun

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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