Update on Norbert

[sirhelm]

Well Norbert my large peacock is doing well. He has pretty much created an "open" burrow using the fluval internal canister and a ring of small rock to mark it. He finally attacked the red legged hermit and took a couple of legs off of it. However did not eat it. He continued to beat it up.. but once again did not eat it. He loves silversides and I just fed him a large junk of tiger shrimp and he is happily munching on it.

He has tried to swim after some food that gets blown around... but that is all he pretty much does. He likes to move around a bit in the tank, and ignores the other hermit in the tank.

He now knows that when he sees the 2 chopsticks coming his way.. it means food.. and gets up on his hind (fins??) and eagerly awaits it. It is pretty cool.

What really amazes me is the number of appendages he has. I have been looking at each and it looks like every set is specialized. I see his "Hammer" looking apendages... which are usually tucked up.. but occasionally he drops them to his side..

Is there a scientific picture of a Peacock Mantis which would label the various parts of the anatomy?


I am going to get some baserock for him later on... so that he has a bonifide burrow to live in.

Well that is all for now.

Thanks

SH

 

[Gonodactylus]

About a year ago I posted a drawing of a Pseudosquilla ciliate that was labeled. I'm sure it is still on this site somewhere.

Roy

 

[sirhelm]

Hi Dr. Roy,

Thanks! I found it. Answers a lot of questions.

Well I was browsing thru your posts and came across the mantis and rubix cube. What was interesting was that it looked like the mantis cave was a half of a clay planting pot. Well I have several of those which I had purchased from home depot and cracked in half and sanded down the rough edges(for my freshwater cory tank). Well I have since removed that tank and these were in a box. I pulled one out an washed it througly. Then put it into Norbert's tank.. and he loves it. Solved my dilemna for a cave for him!

Thanks

SH

 

[Gonodactylus]

Clay flower pots can leech toxic compounds and trace elements, so I only use them after long periods of soaking in fresh water.

Roy

 

[sirhelm]

oooo.... good point... the one clay fragment had been in the cory tank for almost 4 months. Is that enough?

Thanks

SH

 

[Gonodactylus]

Probably. The problem is that there is no way to know what clay and binding agents were used. I don't use clay flower pots anymore for stomatopods, but I have used them for crayfish with no obvious ill effects.

Roy