PORT PHILLIP BAY


Snapping Shrimp 

Alpheus richardsoni Yaldwyn, 1971

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Rostrum short and broad, smooth dorsally; orbitorostral grooves shallow or non-existent; orbital hoods without teeth; rostrum-hood margins barely concave near rostral base. Large chela laterally compressed; lower margin with rounded shoulder around an oblique lateral depression; upper margin with saddle defined proximally by rounded shoulder and distally by lower step; without lateral and medial teeth near dactylar articulation; with sparse setae; plunger a prominent cylinder. Small chela of balaeniceps form in male only, without saddle on upper margin.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (2004) Marine decapod Crustacea of southern Australia. A guide to identification (with chapter on Stomatopoda by Shane Ahyong). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 574 pp.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Eucarida
Order:
Decapoda
Suborder:
Pleocyemata
Infraorder:
Caridea
Family:
Alpheidae
Genus:
Alpheus
Species:
richardsoni

General Description

Body dark green-brown with small red spots. One claw larger than the other. Up to 6 cm long (head to tail tip).

Biology

Snapping Shrimps live in pairs, making elaborate burrows to about 30 cm deep. They stun prey by making a loud clicking sound with their large claw.

Habitat

Reef and seaweed areas, to depth of 25 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

Pacific Islands and Australia.

Species Group

Prawns, shrimps, lobsters › Shrimps

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

6 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Harmful

Small claws but unlikely to nip.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Poore, G.C.B.

Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Snapping Shrimp, Alpheus richardsoni, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 29 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/3840

Text: creative commons cc by licence