Is this mantis shrimp evil?

[Mr31415]

It came as hitchikers on my live rock... They are very shy and always hide in the little holes in the live rock where it awaits food. It will then quickly shoot out and grab it then swim back to it's hole.

Here is a (bad) picture (they never come out and this one was only out for a second - my equipment was not set up correctly):

 

[Thurge]

It doesn't look like they are very big. I don't think it's likely to harm any more than small snails and hermit crabs. Usually mantis are problematic when they are hungry. If you feed them and don't mind the ocasional lost invert, they should leave your fish alone.

 

[Mr31415]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7711609#post7711609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Thurge
It doesn't look like they are very big. I don't think it's likely to harm any more than small snails and hermit crabs. Usually mantis are problematic when they are hungry. If you feed them and don't mind the ocasional lost invert, they should leave your fish alone.

No the largest is about 1.5". They are very shy - always in little holes in the live rock.

 

[Mr31415]

Can anyone ID this mantis for me?

 

[travisurfer]

check out Roy's list for an id
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/

 

[Thurge]

Yea but you are going to have to get the pictuers.
Key things to get pictuers of are the mearl spots on the inside of the raptoral appendages. Another is the tail, along with where the rock came from.

 

[Mr31415]

Well that is easy. The rock came from Kenya (So said LFS). A closeup of the head is here:

 

[Mr31415]

Even closer still:

 

[DensityMan]

That last shot is a real beaty!

I wouldn't mind keeping smaller stomatopods in a reef that was well fed, but it seems like a waste not to give them their own tank with them as the spotlight.

Take a look at the following from Roy's list:

G. affinis - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...acostraca/royslist/species.php?name=g_affinis

H. trispinosa - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...straca/royslist/species.php?name=h_trispinosa

H. glyptocercus - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...raca/royslist/species.php?name=h_glyptocercus

Those are just picking out a few that are visually similar (judging only by color and limiting for smaller mantis). Without the photos mentioned above though, I imagine it will be difficult to know for sure. Hopefully Roy can jump in and give a better answer.

Good luck.

 

[Mr31415]

Thanks I'll try and get some shots of the parts you mentioned. It is just so difficult since it almost never comes out of the hole...

 

[AIMFish]

Regardless of the species that is a nice looking mantis, good find!

 

[travisurfer]

remember mantis are your friends

 

[thor32766]

great pics!

 

[Titan*69]

Mr31415 your photo skillz are top notch.

 

[Qckwzrd]

Good Pics and great looking Mantis, wish they had them in the Tri-state area. If you could ship them you would make a lil money back from the Live rock you purchased.

.....Hustler baby!