Pistol Shrimp - How reef safe?

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Hi all,

Just got a small pocillopora colony, as usual I dip it. And there were 2 small SPS crabs and 2 small pistol shrimps.

The SPS crabs I left in the tank the pistols I'm quarantining. I'm not sure how reef safe they are.

The Pocillopora colony was bought from store wild collected (from Australia, likely Queensland state).

My tank is a 180gallon mixed reef, quite a few LPS but predominantly SPS's. My smaller fishes are a small male clownfish and a mandarin fish, I also have a coral banded shrimp. Also have snails, hermits, fighting conch, tuxedo urchin.

Should I add them to the tank to the Poci colony ?

Here are macro photos of the pistol shrimp.

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Also would appreciate if you could tell me the type of pistol shrimp...

 

[Boreas_SA]

Looks like a commensal Poccilipora pistol shrimp Alpheus lottini, I would put it back in the coral, they won't harm the coral, and in the wild protect the coral from some predators while using the coral for shelter.

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Looks like a commensal Poccilipora pistol shrimp Alpheus lottini, I would put it back in the coral, they won't harm the coral, and in the wild protect the coral from some predators while using the coral for shelter.

Thanks man, I will put him back to the Poci.

So not much danger of him trying to attack my fish I suppose. He'd be just like the SPS crabs ?