Liam Ryan

November 1st, 2017

Marine Biology

Dr. Kelley

Invertebrate Paper

The mantis shrimp is a very intriguing creature as many people grow more familiar with

it because of its unique characteristics. The Mantis shrimp is a stomatopod and are typically

found in tropical and subtropical waters though some live in temperate areas as well. The

stomatopod is actually a shrimp like crustacean and not a true shrimp. They can be found in the

Indian ocean and pacific waters from Hawaii all the way to eastern Africa. Around 400 species of

mantis shrimp have been discovered. They spend most of their time in burrows they make or find

along the sea bottom and in rock formations aggressively hunting and killing prey. Its

carnivorous diet is mostly consistent of other invertebrates, fish as well as worms and of course

other shrimp including their own. They have been recorded to live for around twenty years and

can breed 20 to 30 times. Some species maintain monogamous relationships while others only

will meet in order to procreate. The aggressive stomatopod received its name because of its

appearance having a similar shape to the top of a mantis and a body with a tail similar to a

shrimp or lobster. This creature has a commensalism relationship with its community where it

may leave remnants of a kill for others to feed and while it constantly makes and finds new

burrows leaving behind old ones. The primary ecological role of a mantis shrimp is a violent

predator and is a foundational species since they prey on a vast majority of animals that have

natural predators.
 They are considered crustaceans in a subgroup called maricosta that is also common to

other types of shrimp. The evolution of the mantis shrimp started around five hundred million

years ago and then split from other members of the class malacostraca about four hundred

million years ago. When breeding, the eggs are laid and either kept in a burrow or they are

carried underneath the tail of a female. In the monogamous type, they can share a burrow and

also organize activities to support one another as well as the offspring. In this case both the male

and female partake in caring for the eggs. The mantis shrimp does not migrate though its feeding

and predatory behaviors are quite extraordinary.

Stomatopod are often put into two categories based on what sort of predatory appendages

they are armed with. The first type have spear like appendages that are thrusted forward to stab

and capture prey. The second type have club like limbs that are used with blunt force to injure

and smash prey. These dactyl clubs accelerate faster than a .22 caliber bullet reaching fifty miles

an hour delivering 160 pounds of force to their target. These club like limbs are so strong that

they can boil water causing a cavitation bubble while the water around them reaches

temperatures similar to the surface of the sun for a short moment.

They use a threatening display when confronted by a more powerful aggressor or when

they are weak due to the molting process. These creatures are active during different hours of the

day though they are mostly nocturnal. Stomatopods are actually older than dinosaurs having

begun their evolution around 170 million years before. Humans have three types of

photoreceptive cells that allow us to see red green and blue, however stomatopods have an

amazing twelve types of photoreceptors that allow them to see many kinds of light. They use

their eyes to recognize color in a similar way to satellites

 References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/mantis_shrimp

http://mentalfloss.com/article/86128/10-eye-popping-facts-about-mantis-shrimp

http://www.reed.edu/biology/courses/BIO342/2012_syllabus/2012_WEBSITES/HW%20mantis

%20shrimp/index.html