snapping shrimp

noun

1. any common shrimp of the family Alphaeidae, distinguished by the snapping sound made by its enlarged claw.

Word History and Origins

Origin of snapping shrimp¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

A healthy coral reef is noisy, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp.

From Science Daily

At night, shallow reefs resound with snapping shrimp and the crunch of parrot fish chomping on coral.

From Science Magazine

Oysters lack ears but sense sound vibrations, so the team wondered if the larvae could follow a sonic beacon of their own: the crackle of snapping shrimp.

From Scientific American

But along with shouting fish and snapping shrimp, there appears to be a new addition to the nautical ensemble: the stingray.

From Science Magazine

To test this idea, they glued the goggles shut on some snapping shrimp, preventing water from exiting the orbital hood.

From Scientific American