Bullseye Pistol Shrimp RARE

The popping sound this claw makes when expelling water while opening and closing can be as loud as 218 decibels. The bullseye pistol shrimp has a bright yellow or orange body with unique purple claws and legs. This vivid colour combination makes it a standout resident in any reef tank. Bullseye pistol shrimp are native to the Indo-Pacific region, generally preferring coastal waters. In the wild they can be found on coral reefs, seagrass flats and oyster reefs. In a home aquarium they prefer lots of rockwork with caves and overhangs. As they will often scavenge in the substrate, a sandbed is recommended but not required. Unlike most pistol shrimp, the bullseye pistol shrimp does not generally form a symbiotic relationship with a goby but a bonded pair of shrimp will take turns guarding the burrow. This unique shrimp not only makes an easy to care for and colourful addition to a home aquarium they are also an efficient member of a tank’s cleanup crew. They are tireless scavengers and will consume leftover fish food as well as algae. They also will effectively aerate and stir the sandbad in their daily quest for food. Their diet can be supplemented with chopped squid or pellets if necessary. They are completely reef safe but care should be taken if housing them with larger,
predatory fish such as hawkfish.

The bullseye pistol shrimp is a beautiful invertebrate whose unique adaptation allows them to produce bubbles that are louder than a gun and hotter than lava. In fact, during World War Two sonar operators on U.S submarines operating in the Pacific had to be trained to recognize the sound the pistol shrimp made so it wouldn’t interfere with their anti-ship defenses. Like many invertebrates they are not tolerant of copper based medications.