Alpheidae

"Pistol Shrimp" redirects here. For the game company, see Pistol Shrimp Games.

Alpheidae
Alpheus digitalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Caridea
Superfamily: Alpheoidea
Family: Alpheidae
Rafinesque, 1815

Alpheidae (also known as the snapping shrimp, pistol shrimp or alpheid shrimp[citation needed]) is a family within the infraorder caridea characterized by having asymmetrical claws, the larger of which is typically capable of producing a loud snapping sound.

The family is diverse and worldwide in distribution, consisting of about 1,119[citation needed] species within 38 or more genera.[1] The two most prominent genera are Alpheus and Synalpheus, with species numbering well over 330 and 160, respectively.[2] Most snapping shrimp dig burrows and are common inhabitants of coral reefs, submerged seagrass flats, and oyster reefs. While most genera and species are found in tropical and temperate coastal and marine waters, Betaeus inhabits cold seas and Potamalpheops has a cosmopolitan distribution including being found in freshwater caves in Mexico.

When in colonies, the snapping shrimp can interfere with sonar and underwater communication. The shrimp are considered a major source of sound in the ocean.[3]

  1. ^ A. Anker; S. T. Ahyong; P. Y. Noel; A. R. Palmer (2006). "Morphological phylogeny of alpheid shrimps: parallel preadaptation and the origin of a key morphological innovation, the snapping claw". Evolution. 60 (12): 2507–2528. doi:10.1554/05-486.1. PMID 17263113. S2CID 18414340.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Shrimp, bubble and pop". BBC News. September 21, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2011.