arioch
Member
I scored a small ternatensis (about 60mm, half-grown, according to Roy's List sizing) early this year while trying to get a LFS to order me a peacock (yeah, they got a ternatensis when they ordered a "peacock mantis shrimp", or at least, not O. scyllarus).
I'm only relatively sure it is a ternatensis, it has blue antenna scales and blue coloration in the tail, but I'm unable to determine the meral spot coloration, because it is ridiculously shy. I've had a N. wennerae previously (died to a bad molt) and I currently also have an actual O. scyllarus in a separate tank and neither were/are as shy as this creature. I gave it some dead cultured coral heads to play with, but it hides constantly beneath the rockwork.
When I look at the tank occasionally, I'll see a long dark blue streak zoom from one rock to another, as well as I'll hear some occasional clicking, so it's doing well at least eating the amphipods in there as well as the occasional limpet or stomatella I toss in the tank.
Roy's List says the ternatensis is diurnal, but I've never seen it out and about.
Is it possible my identification was wrong? For what it's worth, I don't see the coloration on the antennae themselves that are in the Roy's List site photos for the ternatensis, the antennae just look white when I can actually see them, them being the only things I can see under the rocks.
Any thoughts?
I'm only relatively sure it is a ternatensis, it has blue antenna scales and blue coloration in the tail, but I'm unable to determine the meral spot coloration, because it is ridiculously shy. I've had a N. wennerae previously (died to a bad molt) and I currently also have an actual O. scyllarus in a separate tank and neither were/are as shy as this creature. I gave it some dead cultured coral heads to play with, but it hides constantly beneath the rockwork.
When I look at the tank occasionally, I'll see a long dark blue streak zoom from one rock to another, as well as I'll hear some occasional clicking, so it's doing well at least eating the amphipods in there as well as the occasional limpet or stomatella I toss in the tank.
Roy's List says the ternatensis is diurnal, but I've never seen it out and about.
Is it possible my identification was wrong? For what it's worth, I don't see the coloration on the antennae themselves that are in the Roy's List site photos for the ternatensis, the antennae just look white when I can actually see them, them being the only things I can see under the rocks.
Any thoughts?
