Is this a mantis shrimp?

[colettem]

Hi. Tonight noticed this floating around in my tank - it appears to be some kind of moulted exosleleton - I think it looks like it could be from the back half of a mantis shrimp. Do you all agree or am I being paranoid? The length of it is about 8mm. The photo was quite difficult to take as it is floating in water and virtually transparent (I removed it into a glass).

 

[Paintbug]

paranoid? yes theres all sorts of shrimps and pods that will be in your tank. that could be the back part of an amphipod even a mysis shrimp. do you hear any "clicking" from your tank? like 3-4 real fast taps on the rocks?

 

[colettem]

Not really- the only clicking has been hermit crabs knocking up against the glass. I guess I'm thinking the worst as I've come across so many evil looking crab hitchhikers since I set up my tank two weeks ago! I have unsuccessfully set a trap to catch these crabs - did the thing with the inverted bottle with the effect that I had a stampede of hermit crabs all fighting around the entrance to the bottle!