Bullseye pistol shrimp (Alpheus soror) care guide

Group
Shrimp
Other names
Bullseye snapping shrimp, Pistol shrimp
Family
Alpheidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs
Water
saltwater
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Reef safe
with_caution

Care

Alpheus soror is a pistol (snapping) shrimp of the family Alpheidae, sold as the bullseye pistol shrimp. Like all pistol shrimp it has one greatly enlarged claw that snaps shut to produce a loud click and a shock wave that stuns small prey. Our sources have little on this species; the figures are general guidance, not from a source. Pistol shrimp live in burrows and crevices in rubble and sand. In the aquarium provide a deep sand bed mixed with rubble and rock that it can tunnel under; it will rearrange the sand. Make sure the rockwork stands on the tank floor, not on top of the sand, so it cannot dig out the base. Keep normal reef conditions. Expect to hear clicking, especially at night. Some pistol shrimp pair with watchman gobies, sharing a burrow; whether this species does so reliably is not covered by our sources, so do not buy it expecting a guaranteed pairing. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most other invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding this animal, and check the label of any treatment or fertiliser before use. Sources: general hobby knowledge only; no source covered this species. Checked October 2026.

Diet

Carnivorous scavenger: frozen mysis and brine shrimp, chopped seafood and sinking pellets, dropped near the burrow entrance. It also catches small animals that come near its burrow.

Breeding

Pistol shrimp usually live in male-female pairs, and females carry eggs under the abdomen that hatch into planktonic larvae. Captive breeding of this species is not documented in our sources and is rarely achieved.

Compatibility and tank mates

Generally fine in a reef, but its snap can stun or kill small fish, shrimp and crabs that come within reach, so keep it with fish too large to be prey. Keep one, or a mated pair, per tank. It does not eat corals, but its digging can undermine rockwork and bury corals placed on the sand. Eaten by large wrasses, triggers and other shrimp-eaters.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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