quick question for Roy

[mantisshrimp]

Roy I am going to be in the Jacksonville, Florida area and wanted to know if I could catch any mantis around there.If so how would I go about catching them?

 

[brekurboy1]

I'm not trying to be a nosy policeman but I would make sure that it's okay to try and catch those particular animals. We're kinda touchy about people collecting animals and such in FL. Including LR. Just don;t want you to get in trouble.

How's the finger Dr. Roy?

 

[Gonodactylus]

I've never worked that section of the coast, but the most common low intertidal species are Neogonodactylus oerstedii and Pseudosquilla ciliata. State regulations apply. You can't collect in protected areas and you can't take live rock or coral. However, it is possible to collect stomatopods in public access, non-protected areas. In some cases, I've found that a fishing license is required.

Roy

 

[Gonodactylus]

I did a quick check of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation site on harvesting aquarium ornimentals. It can be found at:
http://myfwc.com/marine/recreational/recharvestmls.htm

Note that stomatopods are not listed, but the hard substrate that they occur in is, so you have to catch them out and about - not hard for either species I mentioned.

Roy

 

[mantisshrimp]

You don't think I could get any Squilla Empusa?

 

[Gonodactylus]

Possibly if you can find the right habitat. You need to look in muddy bays at extreme low tide. The burrows are simple u-shaped burrows. A large adult about 6 inches long will have a burrow about 1.75 - 2 inches in diameter and 3-5 feet long. Maximum depth of the burrow is usually no mor than a foot or so, so it is possible to push your hand and arm through the burrow and pop the animal out the other end. I usually find them by walking on exposed mudflats at extreme spring low tides and watching for water spouting out the entrances of the burrow when I step on or near it.

Alternatively, try to find local shrimp trawlers. They usually pull in some squillids with the shrimp.

Roy

 

[mantisshrimp]

Hmmm,I don't think I can collect them on my own then, I don't know any areas with tidepools,and bays.

 

[brekurboy1]

I've talked to a marine lab at Panacea (in the panhandle) and they say they catch Squilla Empusa all the time. They catch them with shrimp trawling nets. In my personal opinion Squilla Empusa isn;t very remarkable but could have it's own charm. I've never owned one so I don;t know. I do know that they are tasty

 

[mantisshrimp]

lol,You know any good collection sites?

 

[brekurboy1]

Not really. Near Panacea seems pretty good since there are tributaries, salt marshes and the like. The coast line along the guld is fairly untouched in the northern part of florida. You can find clean beaches and clean water. If you can afford it maybe buy a slurp gun (~$70) and you can walk around like Dr. Roy said and find some holes and suck them out. I but I would see if you can convince the Panacea lab to sell you the ones they catch. I think they charge $6 and then shipping but you can pick it up at the lab. Do a google search on "panacea marine lab".

 

[Gonodactylus]

I have had really poor luck slurpping out Squilla using a yabbie pump or slurp gun. They do work sometimes on Coronis which are common on the Atlantic coast of Florida on low intertidal sand flats. However, in soft mud, they just don't cut itl.

Roy

 

[mantisshrimp]

ugh I went in the mud today,no luck.I was in part of the intracoastal.

 

[mantisshrimp]

Well I checked out the marine lab.Turned out to be a waste of time.The lady there said hey haven't had a squilla in 1.5 years and that she can't sell them to me anyway.

 

[brekurboy1]

Oh well it was worth a shot. I guess she thought I was a researcher when I talked to her. Keep looking You'll find it if your heart is true