This pistol shrimp is commonly found under rocks and is a fast swimmer when disturbed. It is variable in colour, from greenish-grey to purple to reddish-orange, but almost always with pale spots on the carapace. This pale spotting helps distinguish it from other pistol shrimps, as does the dark mid-dorsal line. It is very similar to other species in its genus, but lacks the banding on the abdomen present in A. richardsoni, and the pale wavy band on the claw that is specific to A. parasocialis.
