Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium Gets Pistol Shrimps
A pair of rare Mediterranean pistol shrimps caught off Falmouth have gone on display at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium.
The bright orange shrimps were caught by fisherman Tim Bailey while he was crabbing two miles south of Pendennis point in Falmouth Bay.
Named after the loud cracking noise they produce to stun their prey, staff at the aquarium say that it is the first time it has been recorded in British waters since 1914 – and only the seventh time since 1868.
This may be another indication of 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. We have had quite a lot of Mediterranean fish around Cornwall this year, which does suggest the seas seem to be warming up” says manager Richard Smith.
