finally got some pics

[Absint Reefer]

after about 8 months I finally got some pics of my peacock mantis they arn't so great but lighting sucks...

I doubt these are good enough to weather it's a male or female so could someone let me know how you tell

 

[Gonodactylus]

You do not have a peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus). You have a very nice male Gonodactylaceus ternatensis.

Roy

 

[Absint Reefer]

O... man how bic do they get and how do you tell he's a male

 

[Gonodactylus]

The biggest one I have ever seen in the field was 125 mm. However, they do no grow that much in captivity and I rarely see them larger than 8 cm. I have a small male about 7 cm that has not grown in a year. I have posted pictures of a male and female in my Gallery on this site. The blue antennal scales are the easiest way to tell males. Female antennal scales are orange or yellow.

This is a live coral specialist. They usually are found in cavities that the chop out of the middle of branching corals. This is what worries me about the collectors starting to supply this species. It is showy and easy to collect. All you have to do is find a nice branchy coral head, take it to your boat, and smash it to bits. The animal will drop out unharmed.

Roy

 

[Absint Reefer]

This is a live coral specialist. They usually are found in cavities that the chop out of the middle of branching corals. This is what worries me about the collectors starting to supply this species. It is showy and easy to collect. All you have to do is find a nice branchy coral head, take it to your boat, and smash it to bits. The animal will drop out unharmed

I did'nt know that or I would have got a different speicies well I thought I had a peacock untill today. Mine right now is about 10-11cm when I got him he was only like 8cm tops. thanks for the info Roy

 

[Scalare102079]

you the man gonodactylus!

 

[Absint Reefer]

Ya thanks again gonodactylus, also do you have a pic of Gonodactylaceus ternatensis's natural habitat so I can re create it

 

[dave3d]

As a G. Terna owner I would love to see a picture of a G. Terna natural habitat as well. My G. Terna has a very holy peice of LR that he calls home. He seems to prefer that his entrance be up off the sand. Here's a picture of the rock that Al (my G. Terna) calls home with Al poking his head out of his cave.

-David

 

[Gonodactylus]

You need a fairly large banching coral head - something like Pocillopora damicoris or some of the branchier Acropora.

The head would have to be at least 6-8 inches acrossed.

Roy

 

[Absint Reefer]

ok thanks

 

[Absint Reefer]

so he'd like some thing like
http://emerald.ucsc.edu/~hyperwww/Pocillopora_damicornis.jpg

 

[Gonodactylus]

Yes.

 

[Absint Reefer]

thanks, what kind of lighting do they prefer

 

[Gonodactylus]

They live relatively shallow, so what it takes to support the coral - broad spectrum - moderate intensity.

 

[Absint Reefer]

ok, I've noticed when I had a single strip on the tank he would come out and explore a little bit but now that I have a double strip I'll be happy to see his eye's poke out of the rocks