new shrimp parent, need ID

[cat_named_noodl]

howdy all. first off thanks for all the info provided so far.
next, i need some help. I got a lovely mantis shrimp today but am unsure of the species. it is bright red orange and about 4" or so long. though this isn't a photo of the actual shrimp i have, it looks exactly like it:
<img src=http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d167/cat_named_noodles/mantis_buus_small.jpg>
thanks in advance!

 

[cat_named_noodl]

by "info provided" i mean the info in previous threads...teehee

 

[cat_named_noodl]

oh yah, and how often do i need to feed it (haven't determined sex as yet)? Ate two ghost shrimp today.

 

[Dave Legacy]

Looks like N. wennera to me, but I'm a mantis newb!

 

[travisurfer]

check out royslist, but it looks like n. wenerae

 

[cat_named_noodl]

i did check out roy's list, but being a newbie, i have yet to learn the anatomical language and such, and left more confused!

 

[travisurfer]

oh and for future reference s/he is a stomatopod, not a shrimp.

 

[Crawling68]

Your sig says your keeping this guy in a 6g nano. If he really is 4", you may want to consider getting him a bigger tank, ASAP.

 

[LittlePuff]

Isn't that the largest they grow?

 

[Thurge]

Gonodactylaceus glabrous and G. grapherus are other species that exibit similar coloration to the mantis in your picture. You need to find out what color your mantis's meral spots are, and a possibly a very detailed picture of its tail.

 

[cat_named_noodl]

I haven't actually measured him/her, so i don't know the exact length- 4" is the abosolute max size that i'm guessing it could be. 3" is probably more correct.

Me not having a computer kinda sucks in that i can't measure it at the moment-i'm at a friend's. i also don't have a camera but am looking to borrow one (the pic above is borrowed/not mine). so i will (try to) get shots of the merial spots and tail as soon as i can.
And travis, i know its a stomatopod, "shrimp" slipped!

Actually, what is the difference in a shrimp (decapod?) and a stomatopod? Besides that they look very different. And why are they called mantis shrimp at all if they are indeed not shrimps? this forum is even called mantis shrimp! hmmm....

 

[Gonodactylus]

The animal in the photo is N. wennerae. Maximum size for ths species is about 3 inches. You can't really go by the orange/brick red or brown color. Several gonodactyloids have this color morph although if it is from the Caribbean, it is probably N. wennerae. From the Pacific coast of Cenral America N. bahiahondensis occasionally has an orange morph. As mentioned above, so do Gonodactylaceus graphurus, glabrous, randelli and falcatus.

N. wennerae are tough. With careful attention to removing food, frequent water changes, and a well run in system, you could keep a 3 inch animal in a 6 gal Nanno. The key is to avoid an ammonia spike or the build up of nitrate.

One thing that will help is not to overfeed the animals. About a quarter inch cube of food every other day is plenty.

Roy

 

[Bmpower007]

That is a beauitfull looking mantis

 

[cat_named_noodl]

Turns out she is N. wennerae! And I measured her and she's just under 3". I'm going to call her Matilda.
She seems constantly hungry to me. If she's not redecorating, she's hunting. So today i think I'll get her a couple nassarius to munch on.
I was considering a large turbo snail might be able to hold it's own in her tank. What do you guys think? My lfs has some turbos that are nearly 2" across.
I'll try to get pics of her up as soon as I get my hands on a decent camera. Wish I had my own computer! I'm at Schlotzsky's at the moment. Oh the life of a broke student....at least Matilda adds some amusement to my life.
Thanks for all you help everybody.

 

[cat_named_noodl]

 

[cat_named_noodl]

not the best pic by any means, was done with my camera phone. oh well.

 

[cat_named_noodl]

well, ended up getting a 1" margarita snail and she ignores it. she still ignores the bumblebee snail as well. Didn't buy the nassarius b/c my lfs wanted $3 each! Also got her a yellowtail damsel for a "playmate" too. she ignores it also. go figure....

 

[Thurge]

Big trubo's should be fine. I had three with my N.wennera that were left unmolested.
In my experience nassarius snails are also great for cleanup crew because they can get to the nooks and cranies, and burrow through the sand. This also makes them a little less desireable for food because burrowing through the sand makes them difficult to find.

 

[cat_named_noodl]

I read that red N. wennerae turns green after a few molts in a tank with bright lighting. Is there any way to keep Matilda red without reducing lighting?

 

[thor32766]

sweet little mantis though