Flexi Says: Alpheidae is a family of snapping shrimp, sometimes called pistol shrimp. Snapping shrimp are characterized by having one claw that is larger than the other. Although the shrimps are only a few inches in length, the large claw can grow to half its body length and can exert great force when snapping shut. The claw has a small chamber that fills with water when open. When snapping shut, the claw forces water out of the chamber at high speed, up to 97 kilometers per hour (60 mph)! The high speed bubbles can stun or kill small fish and other prey in the area. The bubbles also make an extremely loud sound up to 210 decibels, which is significantly louder than an actual pistol shot! The snapping shrimp family is large and diverse, with 1,000 species distributed worldwide. One recently discovered species was named Synalpheus pinkfloydi after the British classic rock band Pink Floyd, in honor of its bright pink claw.
