huge mantis

[hobogato]

just came across this pic of a huge mantis and thought i would share it.

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/photo305173.htm

[ErikH]

Oh man that is creepy.

[CoryDude]

Wow, they're about as good looking as one of those huge amphipods.

[Jordan N.]

That mantis is gorgeous --Looks a lot like the squillia empusa that live in our gulf.

[hobogato]

jordan, i need to talk with you about spearing mantis - looks like i will be looking for one for the fluval edge that i cant sell and you probably know a lot more about them than i do...

[Jordan N.]

If you're looking for a spearer P. Ciliata is probably the one best suited for a tank that size. Either stomatopod.com or Sealifeinc are your best bets f
or finding one.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=p_ciliata

If you were willing to looking to a smasher both N. Wennerae And G. Smithi are great choices. AS of last Friday I saw a G. Smithi at alamo aquatics and an N. Wennerae at Aquarium Designs.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=n_wennerae

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=g_smithii

My personal favorite is O. Havanesis --But unfortantly they can be pretty hard to find.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=o_havanensis

[hobogato]

thanks jordan - looks like i have some research to do :)

[hobogato]

so, do you think the breaking glass thing is just a myth?

[Jordan N.]

so, do you think the breaking glass thing is just a myth?

Not exactly a myth but it is overstated --from what I've read you only really need to start worrying about it once the mantis is 5 - 6 inches long. Keep in mind that the force of a mantis strike increases exponetially with size. All of the mantis shrimp I listed should stay well below that size. The only smallish mantis I would worry about is G. Chiraga.

If you decide to go with a spearer I wouldn't really recommend anything other than P. Ciliata. Almost every other spearer digs a burrow twice as deep as they are long and rarely leave it other than to grab food. P. Ciliata is diffrent because of it's intresting evolution --it evolved from a spearer to a smasher and then back again.

The best place to start your research is probably the mantis forum on reef central. Dr. Roy Caldwell posts there and is one of the worlds for most authoritys on stomatopods.

-Jordan N.

[hobogato]

wow, thanks again for the info.

[neogenix]

You guys should eat mantis shrimp, while not the most fun, and hard work to get to, not bad ;) ... oh hong kong, how i miss thee

[saabtech]

right under the power of a .22 caliber bullet!!!! ouch. that would ruin your day!
thanks for shareing the find ace.

[Jordan N.]

right under the power of a .22 caliber bullet!!!! ouch. that would ruin your day!
thanks for shareing the find ace.

Kinda --They almost have the acceleration of a .22 but the actual force is much less. Either way it's amazing, the single fastest movement we know of in an animal. Smashers also have one of the most complicated eyes of any animal.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sheila_patek_clocks_the_fastest_animals.html

-Jordan N.

[saabtech]

interesting information. thanks Jordan.