[Originally posted to the Moorea Coral Reef LTER (MCR LTER) Marine Life Encyclopedia]
Mantis Shrimp
(Order
Stomatopoda)
Photo by Gerick Bergsma
Mantis shrimp are ferocious predators, and
are generally grouped as either smashers, which slam their prey with
their club-like raptorial claws, or spearers, which stab their prey
using their sharply barbed raptorial claws. Smashers can shatter crab
and snail shells with a force likened to that of a bullet, while
spearers catch soft-bodied but fast-moving prey, such as fish, by
quickly spearing them.
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Mantis shrimp are found worldwide, but are most abundant in tropical and subtropical seas. |
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Reef flats, sand flats, lagoons and shallow bays. Many live among rubble or in intricate sand burrows. |
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Varies by species, but may include fish, snails, bivalves, crustaceans and worms. |
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Mantis shrimp have some of the most complex eyes known. Each eye is mounted on a movable stalk and has three parts, which provides precise depth perception independent of the other eye. Additionally, they can see more colors than most animals, from the infrared to the ultraviolet, and can even detect the polarization of light. |
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- Wikipedia - Moorea Biocode Database |
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