Randall's Pistol Shrimp

Care at a glance

Overview

A single shrimp or a bonded pair does well in 40 litres or more at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4 with a deep sand bed and some rubble to shore up the burrow. It is reef safe and peaceful, eating detritus and meaty scraps, and is best paired with a partner goby for the full behavior. The snapping is harmless to corals and fish, though you will hear it clicking through the glass.

In the wild

Randall's pistol shrimp is a small striped shrimp banded in red and white with one oversized snapping claw. It spends most of its time excavating and maintaining a burrow in the sand. Its eyesight is poor, so it keeps one antenna on a partner goby that watches for danger.

Good to know

Like other pistol shrimp, Alpheus randalli snaps its enlarged claw so fast it fires a cavitation bubble whose collapse makes a loud crack and a flash of light. In the wild it pairs with watchman gobies such as Stonogobiops and Amblyeleotris in a classic partnership.

Did you know

The claw snap is one of the loudest sounds made by any animal its size and briefly heats the water at the collapsing bubble to extreme temperatures.

Related species

• 

  Tiger Pistol Shrimp

  Alpheus bellulus

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  White-Spot Anemone Shrimp

  Periclimenes brevicarpalis

  1.6 in (4 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Camel / Dancing Shrimp

  Rhynchocinetes durbanensis

  2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Harlequin Shrimp

  Hymenocera picta

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Marble Shrimp

  Saron marmoratus

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Peppermint Shrimp

  Lysmata wurdemanni

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)