I have a small N. Wenn. (I think; from FL live rock @ LFS; red; 5cm; smasher) He doesn't really seem territorial, he has his cave in the LR and wanders a bit to collect stones and whatnot for his home. And he's eating, mostly small snails. But here's what I am wondering, do they get any more aggressive as they get larger? Mine won't 'pop' anything unless he's going to eat it. Hermits walk right past him and pods crawl right over the top of his head with no reaction. I can reach in there with a scraper/cleanup prong and he just backs away from it when I clean. He will sometimes stand his ground and do a threat display but when push comes to shove he just flips over and swims away or lets whatever ticked him off bump into him and push him along - even hermits! He's eating and doing mantis things so I would assume he is healthy - he just goes against the grain when it comes to commonly described mantis behavior. -- I was rearranging some macro and he ran out to my finger, looked at it, did a threat display... and then just climbed my arm and swam away! Weird...
Non-Aggressive Mantis?
- Thread starter Hobart007
- Start date
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
It isn't weird. Why pick a fight or expend enegry when there is no need? N. wennerae often don't strike and "bothered". In fact, in our studied of striking, one of the major problems is to get them to strike reliably and on cue.
It also could be that your animal has or is about to molt (although if it is cracking snails that is probably not the case here.). A large N.w. won't strike for a week or more until it is fully recovered from the molt. In fact, if it were to strike right after a molt, it would tear the appendage apart. I've actually seen one strike a couple of days following a molt and have the appendage fly off the front of the animal.
Roy
It also could be that your animal has or is about to molt (although if it is cracking snails that is probably not the case here.). A large N.w. won't strike for a week or more until it is fully recovered from the molt. In fact, if it were to strike right after a molt, it would tear the appendage apart. I've actually seen one strike a couple of days following a molt and have the appendage fly off the front of the animal.
Roy
Cool.. I guess they're just chill little guys.. at least I don't have to worry (much) about getting smacked while servicing his home. I just heard so many accounts of mantis attacking just for the heck of it that I figured they were all like that. I guess that's mainly the Peacocks?
Thanks Dr. R.
Thanks Dr. R.
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
It is difficult to characterize species. Individual differences and changes across the molt and reproductive cycles have a big effect. However, if I had to characterize a species that is prone to strike, it would probably be Gonodactylus chiragra. In general, they seem to be ill-tempered.
I also dislike handling G. smithii and N. austrinus since they seem more likely to stab than smash your finger. I have more blood smeared on the pages of my notebooks recording data on these two species than on any others.
Roy
I also dislike handling G. smithii and N. austrinus since they seem more likely to stab than smash your finger. I have more blood smeared on the pages of my notebooks recording data on these two species than on any others.
Roy
john76
Premium Member
My 3" N. Wenn is not as aggressive as I had thought he would be either. So far he's taken a couple black nassarius snails but that's it. I even put one right in to the burrow he dug out of the liverock and a couple seconds later he came out with it in his arms and dropped it on the sand..... it just crawled away unharmed..... I guess he wasn't hungry......
It makes sense that he wouldn't expend any energy if he didn't have/need to.
It makes sense that he wouldn't expend any energy if he didn't have/need to.
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Are those all Florida/Carribean species? I really like the coastal biotope I've made and am thinking of making another for the coffee table in the living room...
What does a solid strike from a N. wenn. feel like? He seems too small to wreak much havoc on a finger, apart from a small cut..
Thanks..
What does a solid strike from a N. wenn. feel like? He seems too small to wreak much havoc on a finger, apart from a small cut..
Thanks..
Stomatopods don't eat corals. The only concerns with putting a mantis in a reef are visibility, cleanup crew, and having the mantis move small pieces of rubble/bury frags. If it looks like interesting den material, it will be tried. And they can hide well in a larger reef. Obviously, most of the smashers are a hazard to any nonvertebrate cleanup crew, but other than that, there's no reason to not keep one in a reef. There would be waste from feeding and that is potentially a water quality concern, but it can be managed by knowing how much and how often a mantis feeds. It's not nice to underfeed, but with proper filtration and water quality they can be kept in a reef.
reef_fiend
In Memoriam
I have a yet to be identified (no pics) mantis that is about 2" that lives in my 10g nano with 6 astreas and 3 scarlets...he runs around all the time eating amphipods and the (mysid) small clear shrimp that breed like crazy in there. He is secretive but he can be seen if you look for him/ listen for the clicking...
