Id needed

[flfirefighter13]

Just got my first mantis and need an id. Im thinking Neogonodactylus bredini or Gonodactylaceus falcatus from the little I know and was able to read from Dr's ID page. Thanks in advance!

 

[Timmy]

If the mantis is from the northern Caribbean it is possibly N. wennerae.
It is no G. falcatus, because G. falcatus has five mid-dorsal carinae on the telson.

 

[flfirefighter13]

not sure on where its from, Ill ask the store next time im in and see if they new.

 

[Gonodactylus]

From the telson, I would say that it is Neogonodactylus oerstedii. The meral spots should be somewhere between purple and purplish grey. It looks like a male, so the spots should be fairly purple.

Roy

 

[flfirefighter13]

Thanks for the input Roy. Im not at home but IIRC his spots are grey with a hint of purple, also thanks for the info that hes male, now I have to pick a name. Im not sure what it is about these shrimp that fascinates me but out of 6 tanks in my house rangeing from full reef to cichlids a mantis is the only thing ive been actively trying to find, now that I spent 4 hours watching him last nite Im considering partioning my 75 off into a few sections and getting a few more, I have found my favorite critter!

 

[Gonodactylus]

Glad to help. N. oerstedii is a hardy beast that does well in home aquaria. Living in the low intertidal off Florida, they can handle a fair range of temperature and salinity change. From my experience, they grow rapidly until they get to about 2", then they slow down. Maximum size is a little under 3" with maximum life span around 5 years. This is a color polymorphic species that will change color and pattern to match the local habitat. Yours is pretty typical of animals found living in LR in the Keys. The way that I knew that it was a male was the lack of black dots over the body which are typical of females.

Roy

 

[flfirefighter13]

Thanks again Roy, being that im in florida I guess he hasnt had to travel far from home. Its also good to know there hardy, although with any luck he will never have to prove that fact, the tank he's in has been balanced well for a long time, and his next home will be part of a 100+ gallon display system for species only tanks. My last question is how much space should I devote for a area to house a peacock or other large species? I will be custom building so I can give them lots of ground space and shallower water, Just wondering how large a habitat they like to explore. Im currently toying with 24 inch x 16 inch cubes that are 16" deep but wondering if I should go bigger, and if so in what direction?
Thanks again!