he is active! (photos).. also id help

[T-T-Trigger]

Well, all the worry paid off less than a day later and he has eaten clam and silverside. Now I already caught him out and after an Astrea! Enjoy the two photo sequence, sorry my photography isn't clearer,

scoping it out...

attack...

close-up for ID... (washed out colors because I had to lighten it)

Thanks for looking,
Chris

 

[Gonodactylus]

What color are the antennal scales. If they are yellowish, you may have a female Gonodactylaceus ternatensis. The males have bright blue antennal scales and expopods of uropods, but in females they range from yellowish green to orange. If I'm correct, yours should be yellow with pinkish setae around the edge. I think this is the first time I have seen a female in the aquarium trade.

I have a male that I collected from the Great Barrier Reef, but I was unable to find a female. It is not that they are rare, but rather that they live almost exclusively in live, branching corals such as Pocillopora and Stylophora. They chip our cavities amongst the branches and are extremely difficult to find and collect without breaking apart the coral head - something I generally will not do.

Roy

 

[T-T-Trigger]

thanks, I am going to do some research on that foreign language you just spoke and get back to you, love that research!


Also, as an aside they had another smaller (by half) of what I am almost certain is the same species. I have yet to research the mating/coexisting habits of these creatures - BUT - do you think I should act now and get the other one before they sell it??? I have a third tank connected to this setup full of macro and small rocks, it is empty and I could keep it in there for a time. Is this an opportunity I should go after??

Thanks Roy!

 

[prodman]

Chris- those are great shots. And I already knew that you didn't like astreas but feeding them to your mantis thats just cruel .

 

[Gonodactylus]

Tough call. A second female won't do you that much good. Also, frequently Gonodactylaceus falcatus are collected from the same habitat. If the meral spots are yellow-green and not as marked as in the female you have, it is probably G. f. Also, the red intersegmental lines are most typical of G. t, but I've seen them on other species occasionally. Finally, if the antennal scales are blue, grab it because it is a male G.t.

Roy

 

[T-T-Trigger]

Are these the antennal scales you are referring to?

If so, then yes, yellow/green is exactly how I would describe them, maybe slightly orange nearer the head. And the fringing pink setae are also present. This is exciting...


(again I had to lighten up the image so the colors aren't true, they are darker. The meral spots are actually a really rich orange color)

 

[Gonodactylus]

Yes, those are the antennal scales. From this view, clearly a G. t. female.

Roy

 

[Gonodactylus]

I'm posting two scanned images taken from Manning's 1995 volume on the Stomatopods of Vietnam. The original watercolours were commissioned by Raoul Serene, a French biologist who worked in Vietnam from the 1930's to 1950's. While the colors are a bit off and the orange meral spots are not shown, the first time is saw G. ternatensis in real life I had no trouble instantly recognizing the species that Serene had figured.
The female has the yellow antennal scales and uropods; the male has blue antennal scales and uropods. Enjoy!

Roy

 

[Hwarang]

What is the function of the antennal scales? I thought they looked like gills on the outside of the stomatopod's body (sorry i'm a noob about crustacean anatomy!).

 

[Gonodactylus]

They are multifunction serving as steering surfaces, display organs, and pressure wave sensors.

Roy

 

[Hwarang]

Cool, thanks, Doc!

 

[slylie]

Nice mantis.

 

[T-T-Trigger]

ok, here we go. I put out the effort to check out the specimen, and though I am not 100% certain, I am hopeful. The pictures of his meral spots did not come through well on my camera, but I can tell you they are orange, without a doubt.

A note on coloration, the uropods are blue/green, as are the antennal scales but to a lesser degree of blue. The antennal scales' setae are not pink on this specimen, they are white/clear.

I will work on getting a photo of the meral spots (and any other feature you may need to positively ID the species and sex. Sizing of this one is about 50-60% the girth and length of the original.


thanks also for posting those images Roy, I appreciate the effort.

PS- the guy kind of looked at me like I was nuts when I was examining the mantis and talking to myself about antennal scales, intersegmental lines, uropods, etc...

with flash, in the shipping bag...

no flash, lightened slightly for detail...

best shot of antennal scales...

last one, best I could get showing orange meral spot on left arm...

 

[T-T-Trigger]

Also, I just was at the library today and was able to request 4 books from an author named Raymond B. Manning. They have to be sent over from a different library, so I don't know when to expect them or exactly how thorough/specific they are. Has anyone out there read or heard of this author?

 

[dapel]

Nice Mantis. How long can they survive like that without water?

-Dan

 

[Gonodactylus]

It clearly is not G. ternatensis. My guess is G. falcatus. If I'm correct, the meral spots will be much less orange and more yellow. The other two species in the genus with orange spots are G. graphurus and G. glabrous. Both are in shore, shallow water species, but without the specimens in hand, I really can't ID them with certainty.

Manning was at the Smithsonian for many years and was the world's authority on stomatopod taxonomy. He described dozens of species and established the higher taxonomic system we use today.

Roy

 

[T-T-Trigger]

ok, thanks Roy, when the books arrive I will pore through them and do some learning. I am actually not disappointed that it is not a male G. t. I am relieved that it is not a second female, but rather a different species (it is the lesser of two mistakes possible). Personality-wise the ternatensis is amazing, won't bore you with stories, but suffice it to say that I am very happy with my new specimens.

thanks again,
Chris

QUOTE:
"Nice Mantis. How long can they survive like that without water?"

A: It is in water.

 

[netjackson]

Nice mantis!!! I have the same species. I am guessing a male, the antennal scales are bright blue on mine. I got him for $10.00 about a year ago. Every time he molts, his color gets better and better. He is living in a 15 gallon, plenty of live rock, Gold Strip Maroon and a Damsel.

How big will he get?

Thanks

Rob

 

[T-T-Trigger]

does this photo help the id any? The orange spots are what sold me on the purchase...

thanks,
Chris