lionfish and a Mantis shrimp
- Thread starter clayspst
- Start date
Yeah apparently most mantises won't let a lion live long in there. Some people even say their mantises love lions as a special treat... and by special, i mean accidental and somewhat expensive.
Still there are a few stories of mantises living peacefully with a lion. If you do decide to try it (I'm thinking of trying it one day too) Don't add the lion until the mantis is very comfortable in the tank. A month should do i think. Don't overfeed the mantis but make sure that it is well fed. Keeping a few live hermits/snails in there for the mantis to snack on as well as the frozens would help too i think.
Still there are a few stories of mantises living peacefully with a lion. If you do decide to try it (I'm thinking of trying it one day too) Don't add the lion until the mantis is very comfortable in the tank. A month should do i think. Don't overfeed the mantis but make sure that it is well fed. Keeping a few live hermits/snails in there for the mantis to snack on as well as the frozens would help too i think.
I don't think this is a particularly wise idea, given the nature of the beasts. Lionfish will eat pretty much anything that will fit in their mouths, up to about 2/3 of their size. This means that a 4" dwarf lionfish will likely at least try to have a medium-sized mantis (2-3") as a snack.
On the other hand, given that lions are ambush predators, the are relatively slow and hang out near the bottom for extended periods. This is dangerous for the lion if the mantis is anywhere near the same size (or larger) than the lion.
Try fish that stay up in the water column (like damsels, including clowns) and avoid fish that like to sit on the bottom and/or eat shrimp (so no hawkfish, blennies, gobies, jawfish, wrasses, triggers, etc). If you want a "tough" fish, it's hard to beat a tomato clownfish. I had one that sometimes drew blood when I cleaned the tank! Needs at least, like, 30 gallons, though, they get pretty big.
Have fun,
Dan
On the other hand, given that lions are ambush predators, the are relatively slow and hang out near the bottom for extended periods. This is dangerous for the lion if the mantis is anywhere near the same size (or larger) than the lion.
Try fish that stay up in the water column (like damsels, including clowns) and avoid fish that like to sit on the bottom and/or eat shrimp (so no hawkfish, blennies, gobies, jawfish, wrasses, triggers, etc). If you want a "tough" fish, it's hard to beat a tomato clownfish. I had one that sometimes drew blood when I cleaned the tank! Needs at least, like, 30 gallons, though, they get pretty big.
Have fun,
Dan
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
In "Fastest Claw", we filmed a 6 inch lion fish scarfing down a small Gonodactylellus affinis (about 1 inch). After a few seconds with the lion looking somewhat uncomforatable, the stoamtopod was spat out unharmed.
My only other experience was with a G. smithii (3 inches) and a slightly larger lion. I was trying to photograph the interaction. Nothing was happening so I went away and left them together. When I returned, they were both dead, the stomatopod half swallowed and stuck in the throat of the lion fish.
Roy
My only other experience was with a G. smithii (3 inches) and a slightly larger lion. I was trying to photograph the interaction. Nothing was happening so I went away and left them together. When I returned, they were both dead, the stomatopod half swallowed and stuck in the throat of the lion fish.
Roy
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
It was released by BBC several years ago packaged with "Aliens from Inner Space". It still shows up frequently for sale by on-line sellers who handle used videos. Unfortunately, these are usually in the U.K. and are in PAL format. I have a personal VHS copy, but copyright agreements do not allow me to distribute it.
Roy
Roy
montanabay
New member
depending on if you have or the type of DVD-R you have, they do make coversion software to solve this problem. I believe, if you buy the DVD you may make one copy for your own use legally.
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Well, there is another way to get a copy of "Fastest Claw". I have a standing offer to give my own personal copy of the VHS or CD of "The Fastest Claw in the West" to whom ever can provide me with a live Odontodactylus cultrifer (pictures on Roy's List). I will also pay all reasonable purchase and shipping costs and even replace it with a stomatopod of your choice from my stock.
Roy
Roy
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
We need to compare the polarization patterns of males and females as well as image the output of the telson under differet ambient light conditions.
Roy
Roy
seahorsedreams
New member
Is that the only mantis with " Very large gobular eyes"?
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
It isn't the only one, but it is one of the Odontodactylus with the largest eyes. What is unique about it is the keel on the dorsal telson. No other species has a median carina nearly that tall.
Roy
Roy
