Structural Failure

[Gonodactylus]

I feed this Lysiosquillina sulcata a fish once a week and photograph the capture. He rarely misses, but today the fish got away. The yellow-tail was larger than usual, but I didn't realize how it got away until I downloaded the image. Falling just below the right raptorial appendage you can see two dactyl spine tips that had broken off. If you look just below and to the right of the fish's headyou can see the bases of the broken spines. He didn't miss, but he hit something hard. When I offered the stomatopod the same fish a few minutes later, he would have none of it.

Roy

 

[Kharn]

Kool!

But....weak.... train it!

 

[Prplhz96]

Awesome picture

 

[Islandoftiki]

He didn't miss, but he hit something hard. When I offered the stomatopod the same fish a few minutes later, he would have none of it.

Just goes to show you, they're pretty smart. I'm sure he was figuring that fish would be pretty lousy to eating if it broke his dactyl spines. Plus, who would want to take the chance on more broken spines.

 

[Kharn]

Have you got a Journal of this Sulcata ?
It has been around for a long time.

How big was it when you first got it ?
How large is it now ?
Anything "crazy" in your time together ?

I know your a busy man...

 

[Gonodactylus]

This male Lysiosquillina sulcata was collected as a last stage larva taken at a night light in Cook's Bay, Moorea in 2002. It molted to a postlarva that night and was brought to Berkeley a week later. It's been in its current satellite tank for four years.

Roy

 

[St Pete John]

Super cool shot.

 

[Dr.Brain Coral]

Cool. I cant wait to get my Wennerae =)