Tiny Lobster/Shrimp ID?? Needed ASAP

[Chrysus]

Soo after finding out we had hydroids earlier this evening we decided to dip the effected zoas. It doesn’t seem to have made a difference but I did find this lobster/shrimp thing in the process. What is it?? Reef safe or not? I’d like to know ASAP so I can decide what to do with it, I don’t want to kill it if I don’t have to. It’s very small right now, about 1cm long. The one claw is huge in comparison lol.

 

[Rjukan]

Pistol shrimp?

 

[Chrysus]

Pistol shrimp?

It’s kind of what I was thinking based on the claw... There is a second larger one that I just found. The second one is berried but I’m not sure it will survive the dip as I didn’t find it until the final swirl at 15 minutes in. Would a pistol be berried at that size?

 

[Chrysus]

So after some more research it looks like they are indeed a rock dwelling alpheid. Should stay nice and small and not bother anything, so should they survive the night I’ll release them tomorrow.

 

[Livinlocal]

Yeah that’s for sure a pistol shrimp.

 

[norfolkgarden]

If you have a sump I would definitely put them there. Or in a acclimation box. Until sure of ID.

If they are a pistol shrimp I wouldn't personally keep it.
Or you could bring it back to the LFS.

 

[Chrysus]

If you have a sump I would definitely put them there. Or in a acclimation box. Until sure of ID.

If they are a pistol shrimp I wouldn't personally keep it.
Or you could bring it back to the LFS.

Unfortunately I don’t both my tanks are sumpless, so they’re just chilling in a floating cup right now. Both did survive the night. From what I’ve read there are a number of species that are almost identical so it would depend on where they came from. I’m guessing indo-pacific because that is where the zoa and live rock came from, but I do have some Aussie corals as well so anything is possible! From what I’ve read though all of the species are harmless to reefs...

 

[UM Aquarium Club]

Common to Atlantic as well, get tons that come in from things we have out in the field. I'd imagine they're probably a fairy common hitchhiker on Atlantic rock as well though I haven't heard much about that before.