Do all mantis shrimp click?

[ejmeier]

I have a growing suspicion that I have a mantis shrimp in my tank, but it could just be paranoia. I have never heard any clicks in my main tank, yet I did find a strange blue and green molt. I couldn't tell what it was, only small fragments of the molt were found, but still, could this be a mantis?

I have never found any smashed up snail shells, and I even have a fire shrimp in tank - wouldn't he be the first to go?

Today my sixline wrasse is missing. About a month ago I lost a yellow coral goby. I certainly have theories as to what could've happened to them, but in the back of my head I am always thinking, what if it was a mantis shrimp???

There are so many variables and possiblities! Arghhh.... Does anyone have any insight into this? I could be going insane, or I could have a mantis shrimp.

 

[Optyma]

hmmm. well it could be a spearer, cause then it wouldnt eat your crabs and snails, it would eat your fish. Logically, that makes the most sense. eh, its just my opinion.

Brian

 

[Wild Card-inal]

Yeah, a spearer wouldn't click. The click sound is from smashed shells and stuff, and a spearer doesn't smash, so no such sound. Also, spearers eat primarily fish instead of shelled animals, thus the difference in weaponry.

 

[ejmeier]

Well, if I do have a "spearer" like you guys say, how would I go about catching this devil? I tried that DIY soda bottle trap but that didn't work. I have an Ultralife X-Terminator trap on the way in the mail too.

If they spear live prey then why would they walk into a trap looking for food? Sounds to me like they wait for the food to come to them and not vice versa. Has anyone ever trapped a spearer?

This could be ugly as all of my liverock is attached with tie wraps to a PVC structure forming a pillar. It looks really cool, but it is practically impossible to dismantle/remove.