MANTIS SHRIMP!

[Fish Eat Fish]

go for it...they are more like bugs than shrimp but hey if you like the taste more power to ya! Then when you get done eating one trying keeping one and see how much cooler they are alive.

 

[alcohologist]

i've had them twice, once in bangkok and once in indonesia. shells are quite hard but yeah, the meat is like crab or lobster flesh

 

[ski's_reef]

Wow where did that come from?? Doesnt mean anything there would be a hundred fact sheets out there all saying diff things. While i admit it was in a picture so is abit hard to say for sure i have seen a peacock that i would say was 99% def more like 10".

Just thought Id point out that this profile is from Roy's List.

http://http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

This site was made by Dr. Roy Caldwell one of the leading authorities on stomatopods. He made this site to guide people on the id and care of common aquarium mantis shrimp and probably also to end rumors of 10-13" peacocks and other myths. Also Puffer Punk I dont think anyone was recommending keeping a peacock in a 5.5. There are plenty of other species that make it into the trade that can be kept in much smaller tanks.

Ski

 

[RobD23]

Got pictures of Cookie Monster

 

[pcfriedrich]

13" ?

Seriously, where do you people get this type of WRONG information?


Species: Odontodactylus scyllarus

Common name: Peacock Mantis, Painted Mantis, Harlequin Mantis
Functional type: Smasher
Range: Indo-Pacific from Guam to East Africa
Habitat: Sandy, gravelly or shelly bottoms often near reefs
Depth: 3–40 m, usually 10–30 m
Home: Simple u-shaped burrow constructed from gravel, shell, LR
Diet: Generalist; gastropods, crustaceans, bivalves
Size: 3–18 cm (THAT'S 7" MAX)
Color: Olive or green, orange antennal scales, uropods with red setae, red raptorial appendages
Distinguishing Characters: Leopard spots on anterior lateral carapace
Activity: Active both day and night
Aquarium Requirements: Temperature: 22–28° C
Salinity: 33–36 PSU
Cohabitants: Most aquarium animals are not safe with large O. scyllarus
Aquarium size (adult): 100 l
Aquarium substrate: Sand and gravel, LR
Suitability for Aquarium: Excellent; large adults prone to develop shell disease; active and interactive
Availability: Commonly available from wholesalers and retailers

Here's on that gets to 32cm (thats almost 13 inches)!

Species: Hemisquilla californiensis

Next
species

Click on any image to see an enlargement. All photos © 2005 Roy Caldwell.

Common name: None
Functional type: Primitive smasher
Range: Santa Barbara, California to the Bay of Panama
Habitat: Muddy bottoms
Depth: 10–50 m; usually 15–30 m
Home: Blind burrow several body lengths long
Diet: Generalist; annelids, gastropods, bivalves, crustaceans
Size: 3.5–32 cm; the largest of all smashers
Color: Brown with blue walking legs and antennules, yellow raptorial appendages and blue uropods with red setae; adult males have red patches on carapace
Distinguishing Characters: Upright, forward looking eyes; yellow raptorial appendage
Activity: Active early morning and late afternoon, closes burrow at night and mid-day
Aquarium Requirements: Temperature: 16–18° C
Salinity: 33–35 PSU
Cohabitants: Could eat most crustacean, mollusks, echinoderms
Aquarium size (adult): 200 l
Aquarium substrate: Sand or muddy sand
Suitability for Aquarium: Poor; requires burrow, prone to shell disease, not interactive
Availability: In spring, occasionally taken by trawlers and sold commercially for food

 

[pcfriedrich]

cause..... they're..... monster?



people seem to be getting in on the fad aspect of them, doofuses getting them cause they kill stuf. same thing the same doofuses do with prianha and large cichlids*

(*disclaimer, im not dissing anyon eiwht these fish, i'm dissing the redneck, imbred, lowbrow hicks that keep them CAUSE they do this, neglecting them at every turn)

You forgot to mention frat boys. They belong in that list also. Don't play favorites.

 

[ski's_reef]

Yeah but pcfriedrich that isnt a peacock that is acold watert species from the coast of california.

Ski

 

[~ocean]

I agree, when I've kept mantis shrimp they were always very interested in what I was doing. Which shows a level of intelligence that I would guess most of the humans on earth don't even posses.. lol

Breaking glass is a myth. They are far from dangerous. Very playful and interactive. The peacock is the largest and the most colorful I think.

They can only kill what they can catch, so most larger damsels are safe. If you keep them well fed they will also be less likely to kill a tank mate.

The Zebra mantis is the largest.

 

[El nińo]

Hello every1,I am lookin to buy a zebra mantis shrimp baby only 1-1.5inchs 3inchs mmax only...ima setin up another saltwater tank and want to get a zebra mantis...
I have a 65gallon octagon tank with 40pounds of rock a carolife super skimmer...inside I got my babie snowflake Eel named nieve,I just got she's under 7inchhs and eats crazy very friendly and will swim in and out of my hand when I do get in there to clean or just pick out anythin,red legged hermit mr red and blue legged hermit miss blue,couple bummble bee snails 2 turbo sanils 1 marond clown fish jiggy,1 chromis jumbo green miss aqua and a lot of other little critters and a shrimp that just gave birth at some point last night I was doin my rounds and had my flash light and c'en as I shinned my light in tha tank about 100 lil tiny shrimp babies come right 2 tha light and hanged out on tha glass infront of me while swimmin all crazya...but any1 how knows were I can go or some1 who has any for sale please email me and I've looked on line and almost
every1 is out of them and I don't really wanna wait so feel free to emmail mme...thanks