Mantis ID

[sdunkin]

I ordered what was supposed to be a P. Ciliata from sealifeinc.net, but I am not sure if that is what I got. It is about 1.5 inches long, and is a mottled brown and light green. It seems like it is more of a smasher than a spearer, because it will hit the skewer that I used to feed it a small piece of krill. It hasn't seemed to go after the nerite snails that are in the tank with it, but they are much larger than the shrimp.

Sorry the pictures are not very high quality.

 

[justinl]

definitely not P. ciliata. You're right that this is a smasher, not a spearer like P. ciliata. Im pretty sure that there's a G. chiragra... a less than stellar trade for a P. ciliata if you ask me.

 

[sdunkin]

Thank you for your reply. I was pretty sure that it wasn't a P. Ciliata, but since I have actually never seen one I wasn't sure. I looked at the G. chiragra on Dr. Roy's list, and the only think that makes me think that it may not be one is the native location. This one should of came from Florida.

 

[sdunkin]

I have been looking at Stomatopod.com and Dr. Roys list, and I am starting to wonder if it might be a Neogonodactylus oerstedii.

 

[Pea-brain]

Definitely not G. chiragra from sealifeinc lol. N. oerstedii has purple meral spots if I remember right, and those are white. Likely a strange color morph of N. wennerae. Should turn green in a molt or two if I'm right.

Dan

 

[gharner]

i also thought it looked similar to N. oerstedii.....but im not that experienced your best bet is probably to listen to Pea.

 

[Gonodactylus]

It is a female Neogonodactylus oerstedii.

Roy

 

[sdunkin]

Thank you for all your help everyone!

Can someone give me a little bit of info on the species (such as personality, etc.)? I have looked at Dr. Roy's list, but would like some personal input if at all possible. What should I feed it? I have been giving it thawed krill, but I have heard that it is best to give them at least some live food and this one is so small I am not sure what I could give it that would be small enough. It does hit the skewer that I use to feed it, is that enough for her to keep her appendages?

 

[Alesia]

I kept a 2" female N. oerstedii in my 5g for about 8 months (before losing her in during a molt) and she was my first mantis. I found her to be very interactive -- too interactive occasionally when I needed to perform maintenance. But generally alert, out and about, and very aware of things outside of the tank. Lots of fun.

She set up shop in a rock with a natural vertical hole which she expanded to her liking. She wasn't terribly disruptive to coral although she stole a few tiny frags which were dragged into her burrow and never seen again. Her preferred foods were small blue leg hermits, mysis, and the odd nassarius snail -- typically only those critters that were roughly 1/2 to 1/3 her body length. (All the LFS's eventually asked why I would request 3-4 of their smallest hermits every visit...) She also never touched the single scarlet hermit in the tank although he was the same size as the blue legs -- quirky little thing.

For my first mantis, I really couldn't be happier with N. oerstedii -- consider yourself lucky if your girl is anything like mine was!