Common Name: Richardson’s Snapping Shrimp

Distribution: Probably common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Known from the Pacific Islands and the east coast of Australia, with records from Cairns in the north, south to the southern coast of Victoria.

Ecological Notes: Frequents rocky and coral reef, usually under rocks or boulders. Specimen pictured photographed at depth of 9 m.

Additional Notes: Dark green colouration with one claw noticeably larger than the other. Snapping shrimps stun their prey by making a loud clicking sound with their larger claw. Members of the genus grow to around 50 mm in length.

References: Diana Jones, Gary Morgan, A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters, Western Australian Museum, Reed Publishers, Sydney, 1994. pp.64-5.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=alpheus+richardsoni. Accessed 12/11/2018.