pistol shrimp in galveston

[decal]

Y'all got any experience with the pistol shrimp you can find in Galveston? I caught a few over the weekend, and I'm wondering if I should've held onto them. Max size, aggression towards other inverts or fish?

[fish daddy]

Off topic. I'm wanting to go collecting with a Galveston veteran soon. I want some peps, and see what else there is. I have a galveston tank that I can keep the pistol shrimp in for a bit.
Kevin

[brandon_rss18]

When I had a saltwater tank I found a few cool things down in Galveston. I have found little starfish, the little native pipefish as well as what looks like peppermint shrimp, although Im sure they are not. The best thing to do is go when there is a lot of seaweed floating into the beach, go out in the water and scoop up the seaweed and have someone else holding a bucket to put it in. Take it back to the beach and have a look. There are lots of cool little critters out there. Also can find some native sargassums once in a while.

[ometh]

We need to do a group thing or something. I keep hearing some people finding nice things like pistols and what not. Another off topic, anyone have experience with the anemones that live in the jetties? I saw a few last time I was there

[decal]

I've tried to collect the anemones, but I can't figure out how to remove them successfully. I basically pulled a couple off at one point, they were kinda mangled and didn't make it. Would love to know what works best, I'd like to set up a nano basically devoted to them.

[ometh]

Mr. Aquatics had a FAQ on YouTube how to remove them successfully. I was going to try his method when I had a chance to go back and collect.

[ometh]

Ideas what type they are actually? I have a few pictures I can post and see if we can identify them

[Lydia]

Decal, where did you collect pistol shrimp? I love them with watchmen goby - so entertaining to watch!

[decal]

Found them in some oyster flats. Note: please do not pick up oysters with your bare hands, you will eventually cut yourself pretty good and potentially expose yourself to flesh eating Vibrio bacteria. I have personal experience with the former, thankfully not the latter. Use gloves.

I don't think these guys will pair up with watchmen gobies. I found them often alongside naked gobies, but I can't find any evidence of symbiosis between the two species.

[ometh]

Ooooo thanks for the tip about the oysters. Last time I almost sliced my foot open thinking nothing of it. Shoes and gloves

[fish daddy]

use a thumbnail to peel the anemone off of the rock it is on, or pocket knife or butter knife. I have about 8 in total. I got mine from Rockport. look at night. They come in, or turn pink, blue, green. They have not eaten anyone else, but they make short work of a crunched stone or gorilla crab while you are purging the great florida live rock. pm me a phone num and I'll send you a pic.

[ometh]

Could they be rock anemones? I honestly don't know what type they are

[Mrs. Mermaid]

When looking for peppermint shrimp you can only find them between the rocks on the jetys at night time high tide. It is alot of fun going on collecting trips.

[troy tucker]

Collecting on the Jetty can get you hurt quick. Shoes and Gloves are a must. There are a lot of difrent little critters in that water.

As Brandon was saying In the spring when the sea-weed starts to float in. take the biggest aquarium net you can find scoop up the green sea-weed coming in and shake it out in the net. You will find a hole world of little critters. I have seen 3 tipe of shrimp. At lest 3 tipes of crab. I have seen fry from everything from bullreds to swordfish and a lot more. There are things I've never seen and don't know what it was.
I have been doing it since I was a child. So I still remember a time you could find live sand dollers on the beach.

[alexrex20]

swordfish fry? that would be awesome