finally got a picture: Mantis?

[macrosp]

After about a month of clicking, I finally pinpointed the noise to a small hole the size of a pencil eraser (a difficult task in a 4' tank). After every click, a little puff of smoke will come out of the hole and every once in a while, this creature will pop it's head out and grab some food.

Well, here is a picture. Is it a mantis shrimp?

If so, I would like to keep it in my main tank. And, can you tell what kind is it from this pic? I like diversity despite the fact that it may eat some of my other animals. What should I feed it? Are the bits of the food that float by enough or should I target feed it?

thanks for the help
-jon

 

[hwsva]

looks like a mantis! I put a piece of raw shrimp ont a shish kabob stick and hold it near the hole he's in, then you can watch him come out and try to pull the food off of the stick. He never comes all the way out though.

 

[ADHybrid]

Yes, that is a mantis.

I have had one a similar size in my main tank. I removed it and put it in a mini refugium in my larger mantis tank, unfortunately it escaped its holdings and became G. Smithii food :'(. Be forwarned, they can be hard to remove without a trap.

 

[macrosp]

thanks for the quick id.

I guess I'll go read about mantis shrimps now.

-jon

 

[Gonodactylus]

It is definitely in the family Gonodactylidae, probably in the genus Neogonodactylus, and most likely N. wennerae.

Roy