I finally caought the hitchiked mantis in my reef tank! Pic ID?

[Dunkpv]

After about a month of games i finally caught him. Im going to put him in his own tank for now. He's about 2 inches long. Anyone able to verify the species? He turned dark when i caught him. Normally he might be a little more blueish green.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2196/2056019803_64382754bb_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2162/2056019811_2d385b2f55_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/2056019809_69caaae910_b.jpg

 

[Dunkpv]

I was thinking it was in the Gonodactylaceus family.

Falcatus perhaps?

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...umalacostraca/royslist/images/g_falcatus6.jpg

 

[helipilot]

How about G. ternatensis? What color are the meral spots?

 

[amazd]

i had a very similar one that hitchhiked in on a pipe organ coral piece. nasty sucker ate a lot of things.

 

[justinl]

Doesnt have red intersegmental lines so not G. tern. Im thinking G. falcatus as well... can you get a pic of the meral spots? and i cant tell from the pics, but is the back sort of bumpy? or smooth? falcatus should have 5 lines of raised bits along its back. look carefully at the pic from royslist that you linked to to see what im talking about

 

[Gonodactylus]

More likely G. glabrous if it has orange spots and 5 carinae.

Roy

 

[Dunkpv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11251363#post11251363 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by justinl
Doesnt have red intersegmental lines so not G. tern. Im thinking G. falcatus as well... can you get a pic of the meral spots? and i cant tell from the pics, but is the back sort of bumpy? or smooth? falcatus should have 5 lines of raised bits along its back. look carefully at the pic from royslist that you linked to to see what im talking about

the back is kinda bumpy. where are the meral spots located?

 

[gholland]

The meral spots are located on the top inside portion of the smashing arms.

 

[justinl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11254146#post11254146 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gonodactylus
More likely G. glabrous if it has orange spots and 5 carinae.

Roy

oh i had no idea G. glabrous (and i assume graphurus as well?) had the mid dorsal carinae.

dunk, look at this pic. the merals on this species (G. smithii) are the big purple spots with the white rings. look at the same place on your mantis and let us know what colour they are on your guy.

 

[Gonodactylus]

All Gonodactylaceus have 5 carinae on the telson.

Roy

 

[Dunkpv]

those were the only pics i was able to get. hes in his own tank now. here is a pic of the home i have created for him. so far he is eating and seems to like the new place...

this might be a stupid question but can you have more than 1 mantis in the same tank? are they aggressive towards each other in small quarters? would they share the same rock?

 

[justinl]

some small species (cant remember which) *can* coexist, but i say that reluctantly. it's not something i would try. usually they kill each other off.