The bigclaw is the largest species of snapping shrimp in its home range, growing to a maximum length of 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in), but most adults are considerably smaller than this.

[2] The bigclaw snapping shrimp is found in tropical and semitropical waters in the Gulf of Mexico, the West Indies, Bermuda, and the western Atlantic Ocean from Cape Hatteras south to Florida and Brazil.

[1] It lives close to the seabed in shallow waters favouring reefs, seagrass meadows, salt marshes and muddy areas.

The sound is produced when the claw snaps shut at great speed creating a high-speed water jet.

[2] The bigclaw snapping shrimp feeds on worms, small crustaceans and fish such as gobies and pearlfish.