Is this a smasher or a spearer?

[Gonodactylus]

In 1976, I divided stomatopods into two functional groups depending on the type of raptorial appendage they possessed - smashers and spearers. Based on its raptorial appendage, this beast demands to be placed into a third category. Because the dactyl is shaped and used like a hatchet, I'm going to call it a "Chopper".

Roy

 

[gholland]

Fun! It must also be demanding high-speed video of a strike, eh. New species you're studying?
Greg

 

[acrodave]

that is cool i would love to see that one hit a crab

 

[justinl]

cool! So is this a brand new species or does the lil beastie have a name? Does it mostly eat the same things as a spearer?

 

[sm51498]

Awesome. Any more information on it? Did you just find this guy?

 

[Gonodactylus]

It is actually a very common species in museum collections, but the first one I've had alive. It is small (3 cm) and lives in sand. They show up in dredge samples, but I have never found a burrow of a live one. I have two that I reared from larvae collected last year at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef). Both are now about 2.5 cm. The genus is Acanthosquilla. Species is probably multifasciatus.

Roy

 

[sm51498]

Do any other species have this kind of rapt? What is their hunting behavior? What do they eat?

Sorry about all the questions, this kind of thing really interests me.

 

[Giga]

umm...I want one

 

[Timmy]

Great picture Roy.
How do you get this black backgrounds in your pictures? Do you use a flashlight from the top and the front or is is a good photoshop work?

The raptorial appendage is nearly perfekt for all kind of food. This species can prey hard and soft food. I think this is the best result in the evolution of mantis shrimps.
I hope you have more informations about this new category soon.

 

[TrappedMetal]

my chiagra dosnt come that close but has a big spoke for a clubber i think!

 

[Gonodactylus]

Timmy,

I have a series of plastic panels painted ultra flat black that I can slip into the back of an aquarium. When diving, I carry a dive slate painted black on one side. For close-ups, particularly of burrowing species, I can stick it in the sand behind them.

Roy

 

[Gonodactylus]

There are a few other species in this and related genera with a sharp dactyl heel. We don't know anything about the feeding behavior of these guys in the field.

Roy

 

[Timmy]

Wow, simple and very effective. I will use it for my next photos.
Thanks for the info.