Peppermint Shrimp killed by snail?

This was unexpected and I am not exactly sure what happened because my wife and I walked into the middle of it. At first, it appeared that one of our peppermint shrimp was trying to eat one of our snails (a small one that mostly lives in the sand bed and only comes out during feeding time). However, during the supposed meal, the shrimp jerked away violently like it had been struck. The shrimp then staggered around a bit and then fell to its back. The snail is now on top of the peppermint shrimp which is either dead or dying. Can anyone tell me if this is normal? Is the snail eating the shrimp? Is the snail capable of killing the shrimp?

Update as I am typing...there are now three of these snails on the shrimp. Also, should I let them eat the shrimp? Are these snails a threat to other tank inhabitants?

 

Those look like Naracissus snails, they will eat dead or dying inhabitants.

Could the shrimp have been at the end or beginning or a molt, they are vulnerable then.

A Cone snail could inflict a deadly sting but I would be surprised if you had one capable of this.

 

Something I didn't think about. 1. this happened right in from of my pistol shrimps' cave opening and 2. the pistol shrimp dragged the peppermint shrimp into his cave after the snails left. So, it looks like it was Mr. Shrimp with the pistol in the cave. ;D Does that sound plausible?

 

Oh yeah, pistols will do that.

 

My pistol and my pep are not friends..They will def take out one if they can, my pistol is huge and he stays in his hole the whole day until night he will wonder a few inches from his house under a peaceful rock of zoas. My peppermint is smart and he wont go near him.

 

So you guys think my red banded pistol shrimp will click and kill my skunk cleaner shrimp if possible? The cleaner is about 2.5" and the pistol shrimp is 1". I do hear his little click every now and then when the shrimp goby pisses him off or when he is digging. I guess he finds worms or something he "shoots"

 

Unless it's a large pistol, I wouldn't worry about it. We have a very small candy pistol, and it doesn't even snap at the cleaner or peppermints when they get near its hole, but they are considerably larger than the pistol is. Usually it snaps at the 2 bristleworms that it lives with when they annoy it (food related) and at any hermit or passing snail that goes digging around any of its entrances. The other day it did pop my tiger conch on the nose when it stuck it in his hole LOL.

If it's a larger pistol similar in size to the other shrimp or a more aggressive one, all bets are off.

 

I agree with Sushi girl, but with a pistol anything is possible. Pistols hunt other shrimp species with their clicker claw (not the technical term). If your Peppermint wandered too close it is always possible...

 

I have a 1 1/2" Randall's Pistol shrimp-my tank is in my living room which is about 25' from my bedroom-with the door closed I can hear the PISTOL loud and clear! Imagine what it does to a shrimp that's close up to it. Totally stuns them, at which time they become dinner