Hitchhiker ID – reef safe??

[sbaecker]

I just started setting up a reef tank about 6 weeks ago. I have been using a trap to capture unwanted crabs and a few mantis shrimp that came with my LR. I checked the trap this morning and thought I had captured one of my peppermint shrimp. I was ready to free him when I noticed that it had claws. This guy must have also been a hitchhiker on my LR. Can anyone tell me what he is? Is it okay to put him back in the reef tank or will this guy be a nuisance?

Sorry for the poor quality picture. I will try to get a better one.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/stellareef/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos&.dnm=hitch.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t

[ May 06, 2002: Message edited by: Stellareef ]</p>

 

[Chucker]

You found a pistol shrimp. Other than popping its claw (which some might find annoying) and digging through your substrate, the critter is perfectly harmless.

 

[Rothie]

People will pay good money for a red Pistol with blue legs. Consider yourself lucky!He will probably just did a tunnel under one rock and stay there. They will usually pair up with a Randalls goby or any of the shrimp gobies.They make an interesting duo.

 

[Fishy Lightningsticks]

That looks like a pistol shrimp to me, and with blue legs no less. Very cool! I would like to put one of those in my tank and see how it interacts with everything. Frankly, I think he'd taste pretty darn good too.

 

[kennerd]

Old post, but I figured I'd put my $.02 in here: I have a 2" orange spotted pistol in my 10 gal: has a purple spot on each flank, bordered in white, and has the blue/lavender eyes & legs.

I tried twice to pair him/her up with a Randall's goby. He proceeded to beat up the first, which was also getting picked on by a diadema dottyback, and went carpet surfing on day two. The next Randall's goby tried constantly to hang out with the pistol, but got the c#$p beaten out of him. I found out that the LFS tried to pair this pistol up with several gobies to no avail: guess this one might be a grumpy old miser.

Anyhoo: he is a real character: constantly snapping at and shoving hermits and snails out of his den. I am lucky enough to have him a small tank, with only one massive rock in it, so his burrows reach right to the front of the tank, and I see him every morning.