Holy Crap, that thing is a Mantis!!!

[Pygy88]

Just thought you all might find this somewhat comical... I did.
I'm a native to the Texas Gulf Coast, specifically Galveston area and my whole life I have been going fishing here in these coastal waters, buying live shrimp for bait...no big deal right????
HA, now I know what that "weird shrimp thing" is that occassionally finds it's way into my bait bucket when I buy live shrimp. Those "weird shrimp things" always gave me the creeps and I even bought a little dip net to scoop my shrimp out JUST INCASE that " weird shrimp thing" was lurking in the bottom of the bucket. LOL, gotta admit though I did wonder if it was edible or not, but never brave enough to find out ( HECK NO!! that means I would have to catch the little bugger with my hand, heh heh). Anyway I guess I had good reason to be a freeked out about putting my hand in the bucket with the " weird shrimp thing", turns out it's a big 'ol Mantis shrimp!!! Mystery creature of the sea IDENTIFIED, LOL! I have to admit I was pretty astonished when I did some research on the Mantis' and found how interesting they are... I might even get one in the future.
As creepy as the " WEIRD SHRIMP THING" is I have admit, I want one.

Just thought you all might find this a bit entertaining.

 

[Altpers0na-old]

which kind is it?

 

[Pygy88]

It's been a few years since I have seen one but I believe they were green. I don't recall what if any other markings were present. I'll keep my eye out though when I see another one. Maybe I'll even QT it and find it a home.

 

[Msby12]

haha, wow, you're getting mantis shrimp by accident, when many of us spend alot of our time searching!

sometimes, around here we catch H. Californiensis, but i'm not sure what is the legal status of keeping them

 

[mattyice]

im pretty sure ou can keep them, just they are extremely hard to keep in captivity

 

[wickedfood]

Yea, hard to keep alive in captivity, unless one's HH'd into your tank, and lives happily for a year without being directly fed anything, until the one day youre lucky enough to net him out of there and sell him to the LFS. Otherwise, they're very challenging to keep.

 

[Uriel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8533147#post8533147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mattyice
im pretty sure ou can keep them, just they are extremely hard to keep in captivity

Wixkedfood,

Mattyice was referring to H. californiensis, which is a cooler water species, occuring around Catalina Island, California. Dr. Roy has stated that they are prone to shell disease, as well as needing a cooler temperature.
You are right about them being nigh-indestructable, however.
I had a heater accident last month, and I was sure that i had turned Freya (G. chiraga) intp soup. I lifted her main rock, sure that I would find a dead mantis, only to discover an annoyed Freya, who went deeper into her burrow, while i replaced her roof.
They are tough little monsters.

-Uriel

 

[jack1492]

sweet