# PISTOL SHRIMP



## cangus (Aug 10, 2003)

im watching animal planet and they're talking about amazing animal capabilities, frogs that fly using webbed feet, bush babies that jump over 7 feet high, etc. But then they bring up an animal called the pistol shrimp.... this shrimp has one big ass claw and opens its pincher until it locks open (like the hammer of a pistol), then aims at its prey, then slams shut the pincher with an incredible force which makes a sound. The sound it makes comes from an appendage on the pincher which moves when the pincher is opened or closed and an air bubble is ejected. This ejection creates somewhat of a sonic boom, reaching the temp of the surface of the sun. Any living creature hit by this is automatically stunned and practically dead. The p shrimp then proceeds to eat it.....


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## bobme (Feb 17, 2003)

i want one


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## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

ouch...


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## tinyteeth (Mar 12, 2003)

waht happens if it hit your skin, would it burn it like KFC?


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## Makoa84 (Aug 27, 2003)

Wow was that the Most Extreme show on Animal Planet?


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## cangus (Aug 10, 2003)

Makoa84 said:


> Wow was that the Most Extreme show on Animal Planet?


 no, it was animal safari (bad ass documentary series, shows stop cinema photography or whatever u call it, like in the matrix).


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## vanz (Sep 11, 2003)

That's crazy







is that freshwater or saltwater? I've never heard of it.


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

I believe Forked Tongue owns one in his SW tank. They can bust your glass tank with that force too.


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## cangus (Aug 10, 2003)

vanz said:


> That's crazy
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 unfortunately, saltwater..... but its worth setting up a saltwater tank for


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

seen alot of them and yes they make a echo when they snap at there prey ..its crazy for such a small thing to have such a hammer of a noise


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## KingJeff (Jul 22, 2003)

yes i read that it can shatter glass as well as shatter the bones in your finger if it gets a hold of it.


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## Typhoon4U2NV (Oct 26, 2003)

thats crazy....i want one!


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

hell ya thats tight!


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## accr (Nov 27, 2002)

umm....are you sure that's the right picture?

THe one I saw in discovery had huge pincers and it wasn't colored like that. Maybe there's a deep water kind?!


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

theres similar ones called Mantis SHrimp as well i believe


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

i want one


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## cangus (Aug 10, 2003)

accr said:


> umm....are you sure that's the right picture?
> 
> THe one I saw in discovery had huge pincers and it wasn't colored like that. Maybe there's a deep water kind?!


 yea, the pic is a spotted pistol shrimp.... the one on animal safari was a regular pistol shrimp, none the less they both do the same thing.


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## Forked_Tongue (Feb 20, 2003)

I dont own a pistol shrimp.... they are tiny... I will be owning a mantis shrimp, they have "hammers" that Smash on contact anything, crabs, crayfish, 1/4 inch thick glass







whatever








by Scott L.







by Adam Jones

I will be getting one as soon as the LFS doesnt muck up the ordering, prolly tuesday


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## vanz (Sep 11, 2003)

Damn dude...if that thing can crack glass...what are you keeping them in? Acrylic? Don't forget that they can crush your fingers.


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## boxer (Sep 11, 2003)

how big are these things? i thought shrimp were just harmless things in the sea that get eaten by me and whales.


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

larger whales actually eat krill. a smaller crustacean. shrimp are downright dangerous.


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## vanz (Sep 11, 2003)

BeansAranguren said:


> shrimp are downright dangerous.










that's funny


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## Forked_Tongue (Feb 20, 2003)

there are shrimp, and there are SHRIMP, you dont eat mantis shrimp, you keep them as pets or hate them as pests... i live dangerously and keep it in a 10 gallon glass







BTW they are nicknamed "thumbsplitters" for a reason


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## Iceman (Apr 28, 2003)

i seen that show too, very cool


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## pablosthename (Sep 30, 2003)

i wish i had a pistol srimp


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## crazyklown89 (Aug 28, 2003)

Pistol Shrimp and mantis shrimp are two completely different species.....Mantis Shrimp aren't even shrimp!



> yes i read that it can shatter glass as well as shatter the bones in your finger if it gets a hold of it.










that's true but it can shatter your finger to the point of amputation

mantis shrimp grow to at least 10 inches.....pistol shrimp grow up to 4 inches

you don't have to worry about pistol shrimp....they're not aggressive only at feeding times

p.s I'm not one to tell people what to do.....but dude don't keep the Mantis is a 10 gallon GLASS.....eventually he's gonna crack it and everything in the tank is going to be dead


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## accr (Nov 27, 2002)

Forked_Tongue said:


> you dont eat mantis shrimp, you keep them as pets or hate them as pests...


 mantis shrimps are yummy


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## Black-Phoenix (Oct 21, 2003)

Mantis shrimp are the bastard hitch hikers of the reef world....they need to die.....god have mercy on the poor SOB that has to try and get him out of the LR in a SW tank


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