ID needed - mantis shrimp??

[Lulu]

Hi all,

After chatting with our friend, who manages a fish store, about the random clicking noises coming from our tank we think we may have some kind of pistol or mantis shrimp. We managed to pull the rock out that it was living in and get it out ( a 2 day affair i'll add) after we had read about how bad and annoying they can big esp once big!

So, my question for you all... is it a mantis or pistol shrimp? Or something else all together? We still have a clicking noise in the tank so i guess we have a few that hitch hiked in on our rock, how important is it to get them out??? Ive heard his one big fat claw can be deadly on small fish?

The noise is a couple of loud clicks rather than a constant click - prob 1 to 2 clicks each time.

Ive never posted a pic before so hopefully i do it right?

Appreciate any advice as we would want to get it out before the tank is more established and trickier to get to all the rocks.

[sssnake]

Looks like a pistol shrimp to me.

[omard]

Originally Posted by sssnake

Looks like a pistol shrimp to me.

Agree.

That is a pistol.

Pistol Shrimp

"...You are more likely to hear the clicks and snaps of the Pistol or Snapping shrimp then see them. They are common animals but are usually hidden in burrows, under rocks and even carpet anemones!

Pistol shrimp have one greatly enlarged pincer. In some, it be as long as the entire body!

This enlarged pincer has one moveable 'finger' held apart with a catch. When the catch is released, and explosive sound results. This blast of sound energy is used to stun prey, crack shells, ward off predators and intimidate rival shrimp..."

[Lulu]

thanks guys!!! So do you need to remove pistol shrimps?? I've been reading up on it and it seems there is some debate - some articles say yes and others say leave them in the tank.....any opinions??

[mattgeezer]

leave it in there it should be fine , i have one too

[yankeereefer]

Pistols are good guys. They only real possible threat might be to cleaner type shrimp. Find him a nice little goby to hang out with.

I would question the knowledge of any LFS manager (especially if it's a saltwater / reef shop) that doesn't know the difference between a pistol shrimp and a mantis.

My $.02

YR

[omard]

I have long thought I have a pistol in my tank also.

Have heard the "clicking" noise now for a couple of years, primarily at night, but have never seen shrimp despite many hours of watching for.

Once was told it was just lights cooling off -

But that would not account for random sharp clicks all thru the night (sometimes during day).

Who knows, but I suspect there is one of those in there someplace.