The pistol shrimp, or snapping shrimp, is small, red or pink, and shaped like a shrimp. It has two claws, one is normal size, the other is 3 to 4 times the size. It uses the enlarged claw like a pistol, hence its name.

The pistol shrimp's prey are other shrimp. It waits in its den until a shrimp wanders by. The pistol shrimp opens its enlarged claw, and aims it at the other shrimp. When the claw snaps shut, it sends out shockwave which knocks out its prey and pushes it back several inches (think small scale.) Once the prey is immobile, the pistol shrimp simply takes it back into its den and feasts.

These shrimp can be found in salt waters around Australia, where they burrow in rock and sand. Pistol shrimp also use their claw snapping to ward off competitors and attract mates.

Main source:

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/m-inverts/Pistol-Shrimp.html

The fact about temperatures as hot as the sun was from an Animal Planet special about "weird nature."

Edit: For those of you who felt the need to label this piece as "inaccurate," "wrong," etc., there is a video on YouTube here that is hard to dispute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQlTMUYCW4

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