Tiger pistol shrimp

Tiger pistol shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) is a type of shrimp, also called Symbiosis Shrimp, or Snapping Shrimp. The body is tan with rust colored broken stripes running across the back. It is a native to tropical waters.

The name "Symbiosis shrimp" comes from the mutually beneficial relationship the shrimp has with gobies (e.g. Amblyeleotris or Stonogobiops). The goby, with better eyesight, warns the shrimp of predators, and the shrimp shares its food with the goby.

Pistol shrimp can also produce sonoluminescence from a collapsing bubble caused by snapping a specialized claw quickly closed. This has been dubbed "shrimpoluminescence." The light produced is of lower intensity than the light produced by typical sonoluminescence, and is not visible to the naked eye. It most likely has no biological significance, and is merely a byproduct of the shock wave, which these shrimp use to stun or kill prey. However, it is the first known instance of an animal producing light by this effect.

External links

• A National Geographic article on the Pistol Shrimp
• Article on "shrimpoluminescence"