Is this a Dragonfly Nymph Carapase in my Gym Tera tank?

[tlindsey]

Please remove the predatory nymph out of your aquarium asap.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

I think it is the carapace. The nymph probably turned into a dragon fly

 

[C. Breeze]

In trout fishing speak that’s a “nymph husk” or “nymph shuck” and a sure sign that the individual in Question has taken flight or was eaten by a bird while it’s wings got working.

 

[jjohnwm]

Yeah, when you find one of those above the water surface, the critter has molted into its adult winged form and is long gone.

C. Breeze ...it isn't helpful to spread old wives' tales about "sewing eyes shut".

Everybody knows that Devil's Darning Needles (i.e. dragonflies) sew mouths shut, not eyes.

 

[Zanzag]

Isn't it actually a damselfly carapace though? It's too long and slender to be a dragonfly. They're rather squat

 

[jjohnwm]

Isn't it actually a damselfly carapace though? It's too long and slender to be a dragonfly. They're rather squat

I was considering that too, but damselfly nymphs have large visible exposed gills at the tips of their tails (look like feathers) which don't seem to be present here.

Some dragonflies have short, squat nymphs but many others are built like this one. It's still pretty bulky compared to a typical damselfly nymph, which is very slender and petite in appearance. I think it's a dragon...

Honestly, either way, these critters are truly amazing to watch in an aquarium as they progress through their development. Not a great choice for a community of small fish, but well worth giving giving a small tank to for a summer.

Google some info about their prey-capture adaptations and methods. The stuff is straight out of the movie "Alien".