Mantis Shrimp question, I think.

[Hispaniola]

Hi all.

I have a rock that I got on Sunday. After I placed it inside a bucket to cure it, I notice something that looked like a caterpillar crawling out of a hole from the rock and then quickly going back in. It's about 2" long. I separated that rock from other that I am curing to see if the thing would crawl out again. It looks like a mantis shrimp but I'm not sure.

Anyway, I left this rock out of the water to see if the thing would jump out and it still hasn't and it's still alive - I checked and it's moving. Is this a mantis shrimp? How long can it live inside of the rock? The rock is not under the water.

Thanks.

 

[Gonodactylus]

I've had N. bredini live for over 48 hours in LR that was setting on a dry counter. As long as the inside of the cavity stays damp, they can survive.

Roy

 

[Hispaniola]

It is a Mantis!

It is a Mantis!

The guy climbed out and I put him an a tine acrylic container. It's a Mantis alright.

He seems very stressed. He's swimming sideways, rolling on its back and making snapping sounds. Maybe it's the end?

 

[Gonodactylus]

Perhaps not. Stomatopods don't have any specialized gravity detectors. They remain right side up by monitoring the direction that light is coming from. In a clear container, they often get confused and roll over on their side or back.

Roy

 

[Hispaniola]

Wow. That is very interesting. I guess I will put some sand in the bottom. Is a rock necessary? I really don't know what to do with the guy and I certainly don't want to execute him or anything.

What do they like to eat? Raw fish?

 

[Gonodactylus]

Try a small pvc tube a bit longer and wider than the animal.

They would prefer crustaceans as food. For a small animal (1-2"), brine shrimp, bits of raw shrimp, freeze dried krill, etc.

Roy

 

[Hispaniola]

Thanks Gonodactylus!

 

[Hispaniola]

Well, the mantis died. I put in a small black plastic tube, pushed him inside, put in some thawed shrimp and nothing. He kept breakdancing until he died.

Today I was cleaning again some live rock that I got 1 week ago. One of the rocks had some calimeda plant and as I seperated the plant from a rock, a small green mantis about 0.5" jumped out. I put him inside a styrofoam cup and he is actually very active swimming all over the place.

I think I am going to take this one back to the beach today.

"Born free..."

 

[Safierdrgn]

Sure he wasn't molting? hehe

 

[Gandy]

Two for the price of none. What a deal! You should keep the little guy if you have a small extra tank. They are very personable as I have found out. I think they are cool little sea vermin. What color is the little guy?

 

[Hispaniola]

The little guy is green and he's back in the Caribbean Sea. I wonder how he would have faired in tank with 4 damsels. I mean he was only 0.5". How much harm could he have done...now?

 

[Gandy]

My p ciliata is green with a white stripe and around three inches long and shares a 10 g with one damsel two large hermits and a large turbo snail. One big happy family.

 

[Hispaniola]

Oh man! Sounds like the Adams Family!

 

[Gandy]

It is creepily entertaining!!!!

 

[Hispaniola]

hehehe

 

[Gandy]

he he

 

[mcflury]

It sounds like you are just collecting live rock? Before you put it in the tank if you dip it in high salinity water for about 10-30 seconds all of the hitchhikers will fall to the bottom. You have to scoop out the ones you want to keep or return to the ocean right away and return them to normal salinity, but they don't seem to be bothered by the process.

 

[Hispaniola]

I didn't know that. Thanks.

I actually put a couple of rocks inside my tank today without curing them. I brought them from the beach inside a bucket full with sea water and them placed them in my tank. One of my damsels was picking on it like crazy and one of my emerald crabs seemed thankful to be eating some fresh algae I hope that there isn't a bad mantis inside these rocks :eek1: