New "flying" stomatopod

[Gonodactylus]

Some of you might remember some images I posted a couple of years back of an Odontodactylus japonicus "flying" through the water. This species is one of the most active swimmers I have seen. They can even chase down damsel fish. O. japonicus are hard to come by, but I now have a small male still with juvenile coloration. Every time I approach his aquarium he swims up to the surface making it very easy to get shots of him in mid water. Thought you might like to see the juvenile coloration. While adult males fluoresce bright green, the juvenile males do not.

Roy

 

[Gonodactylus]

Warp Speed!

 

[Islandoftiki]

Wow, that's a beautiful one! It looks like a real character.

 

[ValleyDude]

Very cool. Are they better built for swimming than others?

 

[MantisO_o]

Wicked!

 

[Gonodactylus]

O. japonicus has a more fusiform body and the antennal scales are larger and lack setae on the leading edge. These characteristics seem to be associated with speed and maneuverability.

Roy

 

[God.]

Laughing so hard @ warp speed picture.. :lolspin:

 

[Fretfreak13]

Speaking of O. jap, do you still have the little guy I sent you Dr. Roy? That's not him in the pictures is it?! =O

 

[Gonodactylus]

That.s him!

ROy

 

[Islandoftiki]

O. japonicus has a more fusiform body and the antennal scales are larger and lack setae on the leading edge. These characteristics seem to be associated with speed and maneuverability.

That's interesting. I've noticed my peacock using his antenna scales for steering while swimming and also flapping them like wings for maneuvering his head up and down when he's trying to make a quick escape into his burrow at lower speeds.

 

[Gonodactylus]

The antennal scales are multi-purpose appendages. They are used to steer at higher speeds and to position and hover at low speed. They also are used for visual displays and in some burrowers to camouflage an open burrow. They also may be pressure wave detectors and my function as "ears".

 

[sklego]

Warp Speed!

Great pics!

 

[Kharn]

Firstly the pics are awesome it's photography like yours that has made me strive so hard to recreate the same quality....

I wanna see some comedy though when I read the title of this thread I instantly came up with the idea of you getting a bunch of High Speed footage of the swift smashers in 'flight' then adding the music track "I believe I can fly!" surely you would have such footage to create such a thing.

Time though ? I doubt it ....

 

[Fartin'Gary]

I am pretty sure that there is a good deal of professionalism that goes along with being a world class scientist in your field. Goofing off is for hobbyists.

I would love to see that little bugger swimming around in person. Is it more personable than O. Scyllarus or Havenensis?

 

[Fartin'Gary]

I am pretty sure that there is a good deal of professionalism that goes along with being a world class scientist in your field. Goofing off is for hobbyists.

I would love to see that little bugger swimming around in person. Is it more personable than O. Scyllarus or Havenensis?

This vid is great. Subtle enough to be believable. Before I knew more about these critters I may have thought this was real. :crazy1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uTdTRXNdEY