Mantis shrimp

[TenebrousNova]

Would you believe me if I told you that this beautiful looking shrimp has both the most complicated eyes and most powerful punches on the planet? 





Mantis shrimp are either "spearers" with sharp projections on their forelimbs used to impale invertebrates or small fish at incredible speeds, or "smashers" with "clubs" that can crush the shells of clams and snails, and even break glass. They strike at about ten meters a second approaching the velocity of a 22. bullet. That means that they can also break the fingers of the unwary aquarist when provoked. The speed with which they punch produces cavitation bubbles that collapse on the struck surface right after the 1,500 newtons delivered at first, so the victim gets hit twice. Even if it misses, the shockwave can stun or kill prey.
Despite this, they are only about 2-30cm long.

Their eyes are very good- our eyes have three types of cell involved in colour vision, whilst they have sixteen. They can see ultraviolet wavelengths and have 3D vision.
They also mate for life, with the longest recorded pair staying faithful to each other for twenty years.

Good video here: youtube.com/watch?v=I-ahuZEvWH8 (Video and URL tags don't seem to work for some reason.)
The sounds heard are real and can be heard from across the room, apparently.

I'd love to have a mantis shrimp if they weren't so aggressive. They may hitchhike on live rock, and it's thought that they only break through aquarium glass because they think their reflections are possible rivals. Luckily, this is rather rare.
Amazing animal.

[Jenny]

Stunning colours on that shrimp. I copied the url to the video, but it said it was unavailable, which is a shame 

[deansie]

I've seen many clips of these and they are very cool, just as cracking the aquarium glass trick is lol

[TenebrousNova]

They told me I could never tame a mantis shrimp. But I'll try anyway.

Here he is!





The photos don't do him justice, his back is black and his limbs and belly are red/green. I found him in the shop and had to have him!
To limit his destructive potential he is living in the refugium where there's nothing for him to brutalize. I'm going to experiment with different kinds of meaty foods over the week. Earlier I watched him stalk a river shrimp and rip it in two.
He did not appreciate being caught earlier, he was making loud clicking sounds as he punched the net repeatedly.

Oh, and this mantis shouldn't be able to break the glass, he's only an inch long and should stay that way.

[TenebrousNova]

He seems to be settling in under the heater, it's difficult to see him  but my phone light helped me watch small clouds of debris flying from out of the crevice. Here he is, staring right at the camera.

[Deleted]

Wow! I can't believe you have a Mantis Shrimp! I've loved those ever since I saw a documentary about them years ago when I was a kid, they really are incredible predators. Could you get it some small crabs to knock seven bells of poo out of 'em? lol For those that don't know much about these creatures, their main prey are crabs and their front legs are formed like miniature spherical hammers and they use them to smash the hell out of crabs and their protective exoskeleton. Well done you for getting your hands (figuratively speaking of course lol) on one  I'm really rather envious.

[TenebrousNova]

Jun 13, 2015 17:12:07 GMT @trueviper said:

Wow! I can't believe you have a Mantis Shrimp! I've loved those ever since I saw a documentary about them years ago when I was a kid, they really are incredible predators. Could you get it some small crabs to knock seven bells of poo out of 'em? lol For those that don't know much about these creatures, their main prey are crabs and their front legs are formed like miniature spherical hammers and they use them to smash the hell out of crabs and their protective exoskeleton. Well done you for getting your hands (figuratively speaking of course lol) on one  I'm really rather envious.

Thanks! There are many species of mantis shrimp and mine will grow to maybe two inches long (He's not a monster like the peacock mantis) so hopefully he won't cause any damage. Still, they are referred to by fishermen as thumbsplitters for a very good reason. 

We occasionally get pests in the shop (Such as gorilla crabs and sundial snails). The new arrangement is that instead of throwing them away we can just give them to the mantis shrimp.

[Deleted]

Jun 13, 2015 17:46:32 GMT TenebrousNova said:

Thanks! There are many species of mantis shrimp and mine will grow to maybe two inches long (He's not a monster like the peacock mantis) so hopefully he won't cause any damage. Still, they are referred to by fishermen as thumbsplitters for a very good reason. 

We occasionally get pests in the shop (Such as gorilla crabs and sundial snails). The new arrangement is that instead of throwing them away we can just give them to the mantis shrimp.

Videos of that? Yes please

[TenebrousNova]

Fed the mantis shrimp a river shrimp just now. Sorry TrueViper, the mantis was so fast that my phone couldn't pick it up!
He watched the river shrimp for a few seconds, dragged it in a blur of movement into his burrow and then made several snapping sounds as he killed it. Was pretty brilliant although the whole thing happened in less than five seconds.

[TenebrousNova]

The mantis shrimp has grown another few centimeters and turned a green colour. I've identified him as Neogonodactylus wennerae, which stays fairly small and (Luckily) can't smash glass.

I've started to catch small crabs at the rock pools which he immediately overpowers with a few lightning-fast punches and carries off. The refugium compartment of the sump seems to be his hunting grounds and when he has food he climbs out of the water and into the filter compartment where he eats and sleeps.

Today I decided to try him on frozen mussels. Unfortunately they are not sold in their shells so I didn't get to watch the mantis shrimp break them but he likes them just the same.





Here he is with his prize!



He certainly has personality to him. He will follow your progress around the room from his burrow and if you get too close to the glass he'll strike a threatening pose, even lunging forward sometimes before retreating. A few times I have cleaned the glass in there with a disposable toothbrush and he would charge forth and repeatedly punch it pretty hard. If you look at him from above the tank he will roll onto his back so that he can get a better view.

I'm thinking about setting up the old nano tank for the mantis shrimp to live in. He's definitely one of my favourite pets.

[ant19]

I'd love to have one!! Amazing!