Mantis Shrimp
Mantis shrimps, or stomatopods, are marine crustaceans of
the order Stomatopoda. They branched
from other members of the class Malacostraca around 400 Mya. Mantis shrimps typically grow to around 10
centimetres (3.9 in) in length. A few can reach up to 38 cm
(15 in). The largest mantis shrimp ever caught had a length of 46 cm
(18 in) and was caught in the Indian River near Fort Pierce, Florida, in
the United States.
A mantis shrimp's carapace
(the bony, thick shell that covers crustaceans and some other species) covers
only the rear part of the head and the first four segments of the thorax.
Varieties range from shades of brown to vivid colours, as there are more than
450 species of mantis shrimp.
They are among the
most important predators in many shallow, tropical and sub-tropical marine habitats.
However, despite being common, they are poorly understood as many species spend
most of their life tucked away in burrows and holes. Also called the “sea locusts“,
“prawn killers” and even “thumb splitters”, this is one of the most common
predators in tropical and sub-tropical waters.
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