Pistol shrimp (Alpheus glaber)
Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help
Researched by | Sonia Rowley | Refereed by | Admin |
Authority | (Olivi, 1792) | ||
Other common names | - | Synonyms | - |
Summary
Description
Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland
Occurs off the SW and W coasts of England, and off the east, south and west coasts of Ireland. Also recorded off the west coast of the Isle of Man, with numerous records in the Celtic Sea, and a recent record (05/04) off Sellafield in the east Irish Sea.Global distribution
-Habitat
Found at a depth range of 30-100 m, and are either partly or completely buried in sand, silt or mud.Depth range
-Identifying features
- Max length 65 mm; usually 43 mm.
- Dorsally red in colour.
- White lateral borders of carapace and appendages.
- Narrow rostrum, short and pointed at top.
- Dissimialer size and shape of chelae.
Additional information
The shrimp produces the snapping sound by an extremely rapid closure of its large snapper claw. The loud snap has been attributed to the mechanical contact made when the dactyl and the probus edges hit each other as the claw closes. The snapping plays an important role in intraspecific communication. In addition, it is used to defend a shelter or territory and to stun and even kill prey (for example see Versluis et al., 2000).Listed by
- none -
Bibliography
Bruce, J.R., Colman, J.S. & Jones, N.S., 1963. Marine fauna of the Isle of Man. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.
Hayward, P., Nelson-Smith, T. & Shields, C. 1996. Collins pocket guide. Sea shore of Britain and northern Europe. London: HarperCollins.
Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.]
Smaldon, G., Holthuis, L.B. & Fransen, C.H.J.M., 1993. Coastal Shrimps and Prawns (Revised edn). Shrewsbury: Field Studies Council.
Versluis, M., Schmitz, B., von der Heydt, A. & Lohse, D., 2000. How snapping shrimp snap: through cavitating bubbles. Science, 289, 2114-2117.
Datasets
NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.
OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), 2024. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2024-12-10
Citation
This review can be cited as:
Last Updated: 17/04/2008