Encyclopaedia
Florida Snapping Shrimp
Alpheus floridanus
A snapping shrimp from Florida, excellent tunnel digger and companion for symbiotic gobies.
- Family
- Alpheidae
- Origin
- Oceano Atlantico occidentale: Golfo del Messico, Caraibi e coste della Florida.
- Origin
- Tropical oceans and reefsCentral America and CaribbeanNorth America
- Tank use
- Used in 0 tanks
Share
22 °C - 26 °C
8.1 - 8.4
Marine
Spazzino
Alta
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Western Atlantic Ocean: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Florida coasts.
Taxonomy: Belongs to the Alpheidae family. It exhibits a morphology typical of reef-dwelling scavenger invertebrates, growing to a size of 5.0 cm.
Social Behavior: Very peaceful and secretive. It leads a benthic lifestyle, spending much of its time sheltered within crevices or sandy burrows.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The coloration consists of cryptic or distinct markings helpful for camouflage. Sexual dimorphism is not externally prominent.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Tank Setup: Requires a reef aquarium of at least 80.0 liters with stable rockwork. Provide shaded areas and caves to shelter during molting.
Diet and Feeding: Omnivore. Acts as a scavenger, eating leftover foods, micro-crustaceans, organic debris, and sinking pellets.
Water Quality: Reef parameters with pH 8.1-8.4, gravity 1.023-1.025, and low nitrates are critical.
Compatibility and Tankmates: Peaceful. Reef-safe. Do not house with large, aggressive fish species that might consider it prey.
Aquarium Breeding: Simultaneous hermaphrodite. Breeding is complex due to a prolonged planktonic larval phase which rarely survives.
Risks and Diseases: High sensitivity to copper-based medications. Risk of osmotic shock; requires slow drip acclimation.
Invertebrate profile
- Type
- Gambero marino
- Diet
- Onnivoro. Ciba scarti di cibo dei pesci, piccoli pezzetti di congelato e pellet.
- Ecological role
- Spazzino
- Minimum group
- 1
- Adult size
- 5 cm
- GH
- n/a
- KH
- n/a
- TDS
- n/a
- Copper
- Alta
- Shock sensitivity
- Alta
- Calcium and minerals
- Calcio, magnesio e carbonati stabili prevengono malformazioni durante la muta.
- Molting
- Avviene regolarmente. Il guscio vecchio si dissolve o viene consumato in tana.
- Reproduction
- Oviparo. Riproduzione in acquariologia domestica non documentata in dettaglio.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- Perfetto per barriere coralline. Scava costantemente; stabilizzare la rocciata di base.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Other recommended species with similar care requirements and water parameters.
