Bright Orange Pistol Shrimp
A noisy Mediterranean shrimp found in England is the first seen in British waters for 87 years. The pistol shrimp was caught by fisherman Timmy Bailey in Falmouth Bay and is now in a quarantine tank at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay. The bright orange creature is named after the loud cracking noise it makes with its claws to help stun its prey. A marine expert has said it could be a sign of global warming. Timmy Bailey, from Falmouth, who caught the inch-long creature, said: “I’d never seen anything like it before”. Mr. Bailey contacted the Blue Reef aquarium in Newquay, which collected the creature and identified it as the Mediterranean pistol shrimp with the help of local zoologist Dr Paul Gainey. But its noisy nature was not realized until a little later. Blue Reef aquarist Matt Slater said: “I started to think it was something special while I was driving back from Falmouth. “I kept on hearing this cracking noise from the back of the vehicle as if someone was popping bubble wrap.” However, the latest arrival to the aquarium has prompted manager Richard Smith to believe its arrival off Britain could potentially be linked to global warming. Apparently this is the warmest October since records began and we certainly seem to be seeing a lot more warm water species around the south west coast. Several species of Mediterranean fish have been found in English waters this year. According to staff at the aquarium, it is the first time the pistol shrimp has been recorded in British waters since 1914 - and only the seventh time since 1868. The shrimp is now in a tank with another Mediterranean species - a rare sponge crab found by a Newquay fisherman.