Not a fish, but what a face
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A thumb splitter by any other name will still hurt you....
Great shot!
Rick
Great shot!
Rick
I saw one of those sweet little guys shatter a flashlight case...you know, the really hard plastic part, not the lens!
DiverG
Reached My 2nd Goal!
Great photo, but what is this?
blacknet
Contributor
Hello,
Looks like you cornered a mantis shrimp. Be *VERY* careful in dealing with these guys as they have either hammers or spears for defense. Once they get into your reef aquarium they will wreck havok and mayhem.
Ed
Looks like you cornered a mantis shrimp. Be *VERY* careful in dealing with these guys as they have either hammers or spears for defense. Once they get into your reef aquarium they will wreck havok and mayhem.
Ed
Tell me about the *thumb splitter* *flashight muncher*....
Mantis Shrimp, aka Pistol Shrimp, have huge claws for their size. Their main defense mechanism is the ability to 'whack' a preditor with those claws, instead of pinching....kinda like a hammer. Divers reaching to try to touch one, or inadvertantly touching the sand close to a Mantis' burrow, have had their fingers broken and/or split open. Hense "thumb splitter".
At night, some of that loud popping sound you hear are Mantis Shrimps.
Blacknet is right. Mantis shrimp have been known to crack the glass on aquariums as well as kill everything in it! They are sold in the aquarium trade (bought by those who don't know better) or come in as hitchhikers on live rock. It's a very tricky operation to catch and remove them from the tank!
So next time you're down close to the sand scoping out some critter, be careful where you poke your nose or put your hands!
At night, some of that loud popping sound you hear are Mantis Shrimps.
Blacknet is right. Mantis shrimp have been known to crack the glass on aquariums as well as kill everything in it! They are sold in the aquarium trade (bought by those who don't know better) or come in as hitchhikers on live rock. It's a very tricky operation to catch and remove them from the tank!
So next time you're down close to the sand scoping out some critter, be careful where you poke your nose or put your hands!
blacknet
Contributor
Hello,
Well it's a shrimp. To be more specific it's a Stomatopod (also will stomp your fingers if you get to close!)
Some good info on this species
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/
Imagine if you will a praying mantis underwater that looked like a shrimp. Now those front 2 legs are spear like or hammer like arms. We are talking a force so great it can break your fingers with little problem. These shrimp will reach out and spear fish as they swim by or chase down crabs and hammer thru any shell to eat the body.
One problem with keeping this shrimp in the aquarium is the shrimp can break the aquarium. Fortunately they are not that intelligent and you can bait/trap them with ease. However they are quick learners and will adapt.
Ed
Well it's a shrimp. To be more specific it's a Stomatopod (also will stomp your fingers if you get to close!)
Some good info on this species
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/
Imagine if you will a praying mantis underwater that looked like a shrimp. Now those front 2 legs are spear like or hammer like arms. We are talking a force so great it can break your fingers with little problem. These shrimp will reach out and spear fish as they swim by or chase down crabs and hammer thru any shell to eat the body.
One problem with keeping this shrimp in the aquarium is the shrimp can break the aquarium. Fortunately they are not that intelligent and you can bait/trap them with ease. However they are quick learners and will adapt.
Ed
blacknet
Contributor
Dee,
One correction to your post. Mantis shrimp is NOT a 'pistol shrimp'. Mantis shrimp is Stomatopod (fitting name) while 'pistol shrimp is Alpheus.
Both will make snaping noises, pistol's is similar to a cricket (well not technical but you get the idea) and mantis as it attacks it's prey. However if the mantis shrimp has spears you will likely hear NO noise at all.
Pistol shrimp looks like a normal shrimp/crayfish while mantis shrimp is distinctly different.
Ed
One correction to your post. Mantis shrimp is NOT a 'pistol shrimp'. Mantis shrimp is Stomatopod (fitting name) while 'pistol shrimp is Alpheus.
Both will make snaping noises, pistol's is similar to a cricket (well not technical but you get the idea) and mantis as it attacks it's prey. However if the mantis shrimp has spears you will likely hear NO noise at all.
Pistol shrimp looks like a normal shrimp/crayfish while mantis shrimp is distinctly different.
Ed
sillago
Guest
Just something else about the mantis shrimp is their incredible binocular vision, it is probably one of the most complex and advanced vision system around, with very effective depth perception which enables them to use their claws/spear/clubs so effectively.
From personal experience I can tell you it hurts like hell when you get hit by one (imagine slamming your car door on your fingers kinda pain
)
From personal experience I can tell you it hurts like hell when you get hit by one (imagine slamming your car door on your fingers kinda pain
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