Behavior Observation: Mantis 'sealing' hole in live rock...

[hot4teacher]

I have some live rock curing (from Okinawa) and had at least 3 mantis shrimp. All about the same size, 1 cream, 1 green, 1 black. I feed them mysis shrimp every other day or every third day. Anyways, the green mantis will seal its hole...and I mean it is a hard-as-a-rock sealent that I can't break through (I havent tried that hard but still can't open). Now a few days later, it will be open again for him to eat.

Has anyone seen this before? What does it mean?

Dana

 

[thor32766]

yeah mine does it to. You lock your doors at night so a thief cant get it right. All they are doing is locking up. They are pretty smart.

 

[ejls]

My G. Viridis does the same. It's hardly impregnable but it's a pretty impressive barrier none the less.

It makes it out of large grains of sand, rock chips, bits of shell etc. I'm always amazed that it manages to construct somthing so strong out of random bits.

 

[rwhhunt]

does the mantis use of sort of "mucus" or some adhesove to hold the mixture

 

[ejls]

That was what I first thought with mine but I can't see it secreting any during construction and when it breaks down it just fals apart like ordinary sand.

Different species may well do different things though

 

[dragonforce]

My platysoma did this lastnight and then he moved a peice out and stuck his little head out this morning

 

[hot4teacher]

I made another observation similar to ejls:

The green mantis' door is more sand based whereas the black mantis uses bits of broking shell. Perhaps possible preference or just using what's available.

Dana