0.5" mantis shrimp ??? (picture)

[L and L]

Found this "unknown" last night. It's around 0.5" long. I've seen plenty of pictures of mantis shrimp......but, seems like they're all mature.

It's not very colorful, like the larger ones. Any ideas?

Thanks,

 

[Gonodactylus]

Sorry, it isn't even close to being a mantis shrimp. It is an amphipod, a distant relative of stomatopods. They do make good stomatopod food, however.

Roy

 

[L and L]

ah... thanks. I knew that it didn't look like any mantis I've seen. But, I wasn't sure what they looked like when they were small.

Thanks Gonodactylus. Appreciate the info.

Do the baby mantis shrimps look like the mature ones? all colorful?

 

[Gonodactylus]

When stomatopod larvae hatch, they are only .5 to 2 mm long, depending on the species. Some enter the plankton immediately. Others like Neogonodactylus remain with the mother in her cavity for about a week, molt three times, and then enter the plankton. Stomatopod larvae are clear. They remain in the plankton for from 3 weeks to several months and then settle as post larvae or juveniles (mini-adults). Gonodactylids are usually 7-10 mm long, Pseudosquillids are 18 - 25 mm, and some species such as Odontodactylus scyllarus can be up to 3 cm. It usually takes them a week or so to develop coloration.

Roy