Attn:Dr. Roy, regarding P. cilata...

[Uriel]

Hello Dr Roy, and thank you for answering.

I have heard you state in several threads over the last year that while smashers are territorial and fight amongst themselves for space and hunting territory, most spearers do not similarly fight with each other(Since it is easier to dig a burrow in the sand than risk death/injury in a squabble etc...).
P. cilata, to me is a strange creature, in that it is a spearer, yet it seems to hunt as oppossed to sitting in a hole and waiting for food to pass by, as many other spearers seem to do. Many aquarists have noted that their P. cilatas are very interactive, swimming about and hunting down damsels etc...

So...

Do you think that it would be possible to house a few (or even just two) P. cilata together in a tank, say in a 30 gallon sized one?
Does this species battle with one another like smashers, or do the coexist with relative peace. It would be very interesting to see how they interact with one another (If I could ever find one or three...).


Any help is, as always, greatly appreciated.

-Ron

 

[Gonodactylus]

Take a look at "Roy's List" under P. ciliata. One of the images shows two P. ciliata locked in combat. This is an aggressive species that will fight with intruders. The difference is that their weapons are less effective and when two intermolt animal meet, the fight is less likely to be damaging. However, if you try to house two P. ciliata together, when one molts, their is a good chance that it will be killed by the other. Also, I might add that with cavity living smashers, the size of the cavity can provide a refuge. Small individuals in a small cavity can remain out of reach of a larger individual. However, in a burrower such as P. ciliata, the burrow is not as secure and when molting, even a bigger animal can be killed by a smaller one.

P. ciliata is a very interesting species and placing indiviudals together yields lots of agonistic and reproductive behavior (depending on the sex of the participants). However, housing two or more together is not advised.

Roy

 

[Uriel]

Thank you again for the reply. I know that you are busy with your work.

I will refrain from multiple P. cilata in one tank, as per your advice.

If I might ask 2 more questions regarding mantis living rogether/near one another.

Firstly, I have 2 tanks that have been split into multiple chambers: these I have designated as mantis condos for several of my mantis.
However, the dividing panes of acrylic are clear. Will my mantis spend much time postering/striking at one another through the divider?
While it would be interesting to see them do their 'tough guy' thing with one another, I would not want them to damage themselves by striking at the divider.


Secondly, you had mentioned sometime a few months back that there was a small spearer that lives in communities in the shallows in Florida.
I had mentioned wanting to get several and have a community if them.
Where might they be found exactly? I have a friend (OK, an ex girlfried who wants me to visit) who lives in Fort Lauderdale., A chance to score some of these little fellows might be worth the trip out there. I assume that once caught (I would set up a small tank there t keep them in for the week), I could transport them in cargo (insulating them and properly packing them as described by you, of course).

 

[Uriel]

Oh, and also...

How is your new L. maculata doing/ Has she and your male decided to play 'House' ('Burrow'?) together?