Fun Facts About Snapping Shrimp

Snapping Shrimp Create a Loud Sound Using a Bubble

Snapping shrimp are small arthropods only 1 to 2 inches in size. There are hundreds of species of snapping shrimp.

As you can see by the shrimp in this image, the snapping shrimp has one larger claw that's shaped like a boxing glove. When the pincer is closed, it fits into a socket in the other pincer. 

Scientists thought for a long time that the sound was made simply by the shrimp snapping its pincers together. But in 2000, a team of scientists led by Detlef Lohse found that the snap creates a bubble. This bubble is created when the pincer lands in the socket and the water bubbles out causing a reaction called cavitation. When the bubble explodes, the sound is produced. This process is also accompanied by intense heat; the temperature inside the bubble is at least 18,000 F. 

Some Snapping Shrimp Have An Unusual Relationship with Goby Fish

In addition to their snapping sound, snapping shrimp are also known for their unusual relationship with goby fish. These relationships form for the mutual benefit of the fish and the shrimp. The shrimp digs a burrow in the sand, which protects it and the goby with which it shares its burrow. The shrimp is nearly blind, so it is threatened by predators if it leaves its burrow. It solves this problem by touching the goby with one of its antennae when it leaves the burrow. The goby keeps watch for danger. If it sees any, it moves, which triggers the shrimp to retreat back into the burrow. 

Most Snapping Shrimp Mate for Life

Snapping shrimp mate with a single partner during the breeding season. The initiation of mating activity may start with snapping. The shrimp mate just after the female molts. When the female molts, the male protects her, so it makes sense that this is a monogamous relationship as females molt every few weeks and mating may occur more than once. The female incubates the eggs under her abdomen. The larvae hatch as planktonic larvae, which molt several times before settling on the bottom to begin life in their shrimp form. 

Snapping shrimp have a relatively short lifespan of only a few years.

Some Snapping Shrimp Live in Colonies Like Ants

Some snapping shrimp species form colonies of hundreds of individuals and live within host sponges. Within these colonies, there appears to be one female, known as the "queen." 

References

• Duffy, J.E. and K.S. Macdonald. 1999. Colony structure of the social snapping shrimp . Journal of Crustacean Biology 19(2): 283-292.Synalpheus filidigitus in Belize
• Hunt, P. 2014. Pistol Shrimp and Gobies: Perfect Partners. Tropical Fish Magazine. Accessed February 29, 2016.
• Lohse, D., Schmitz, B. and M. Versluis. 2001. Snapping shrimp make flashing bubbles. Nature 413:477-478.
• National Geographic. World's Deadliest: Amazing Pistol Shrimp Stun "Gun" (Video). Accessed February 5, 2016.
• National Research Council. 2003. Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals. National Academies Press.
• Roach, J. Snapping Shrimp Stun Prey with Flashy Bang. National Geographic News. Accessed February 5, 2016.