Hitchhiker Mantis?

[blmeier7]

I ordered a cleanup crew from liveaquaria.com a couple of weeks ago and I think I may have accidentally received a mantis shrimp. He is less than 1/4" long but looks identical to all of the mantis pictures I have seen. I have also noticed the "clicking" sound coming from my tank that was not there before. Can a mantis that is only 1/4" long make a loud clicking sound??

My question is, could I move him to my refugium and see if he will grow there or is that a bad idea? He has started to make a tunnel using sand on the front of the tank next to the glass so he would be easy to catch. Thanks for the help

 

[30mini]

You sure that's not a pistol? Pistol's are REALLY good sand sifters, and they will also make the loud clicking sound. Are the clicking sounds 3 or more at once, or are they only 1 or 2 at a time?

 

[blmeier7]

The shrimp is so small it is hard to tell. From the pictures I have seen the shrimp I have definitely looks more like a mantis than a pistol. The clicks are one or two at a time.

I can try to leave him where he is at and see if he will grow enough to get a good ID. If it is a mantis I didn't want him to get behind the rocks and never see him again.

 

[30mini]

Can you maybe get a picture? What colors is it?

 

[blmeier7]

He appears to be mostly gray with light red antennae. I don't think a picture will help because I can barely see him. He is about half the lenth of a dime. I will try and take some pictures when I get home and post them if they look like they might help.

 

[DensityMan]

Might simply be a really large amphipod as well...

That doesn't explain the clicking though. /shrug

 

[dantodd]

I'm sure Dr. Roy could answer but I don't believe that any of the mantis species recruit that small. I'm guessing it's just a 'pod of some sort. 1/4" isn't that large for a 'pod. Even if a non-larval mantis does exist at this size I doubt he'd be audible.

 

[blmeier7]

dantodd, you are probably right. I first thought it was a large pod, but then I noticed the clicking. I really don't think anything this small could make clicks that loud.