do spearers make click sounds?

[twocoloreyes]

ok, so i bring home a strawberry basslet from work to feed my mantis and my girlfriend told my she heard a click when the fish got pulled into his cave. now i tried to explain to her that its smashers that click by "smashing" thier pray and that spearers grab their pray, so how can it be that the mantis could produce a clicking sound? she insists that she heard it.

now, since i did not hear it, i am certain that spearers dont click, but she is stubborn, so who knows? maybe they do click.

can anyone help end this argument, was it the mantis she heard? or am i right?

 

[Gonodactylus]

Most spearers will strike in certain circumstances with a closed dactyl and certainly are capable of producing an audible click. Some spearers such as Squilla even make a living breaking thin shelled clams striking them with a closed dactyl. This is probably how smashing evolved..

Roy

 

[twocoloreyes]

thanks roy, now you got her gloating

 

[Gonodactylus]

Sorry, but I've learned never to argue with a woman when it comes to hearing. At least at my age, they usually have more sensitive hearing at least at higher frequencies.

In general spearers are more prone to strike with a closed dactyl during aggressive and defensive interactions. Most have barbed dactyls which are difficult to pull out. If they were to stab something large, there is a good chance they could have the raptorial appendages torn off because they could not pull free. That is why even very formidable spearers such as Lysiosquillina maculata will usually strike another stomatopod their size with a closed dactyl. This is also true of potential predators such as fish, octopus and people.

Roy