# A Mantis Shrimp lives in my house! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002 "2005-01-04T07:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dan\_Turk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dan\_Turk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Turk)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/1 "2005-01-04T07:36:12Z")
For the aquarium folk… in the Live Rock holding tank, I’ve found an urchin, 2 more snails, and the reason my fish disappeared: I have a mantis shrimp! he’s rad! > **[Meet Blueboard, Not Your Average Philodendron](https://www.blueboard.com/philodendron)** > > You may have been previously searching for philodendron, but instead, let's explore experiential rewards, incentives and gifts for your top scientists. > [@](#): > > ``` > Stomatopods (mantis shrimps) are predatory crustaceans that live in the shallow waters of tropical and subtropical seas. They use specialized raptorial appendages to capture and subdue prey by either "spearing" the animals or "smashing" them with heavily calcified clubs. **The force of the strike of a large Californian species approaches that of a 22 caliber bullet** , and is capable of breaking double layered safety glass. They are, weight for weight, probably the most formidable animals alive. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Brendan\_Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Brendan\_Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brendan_Donovan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/2 "2005-01-04T12:08:21Z")
That is so cool. Can you tell us more about it? How large and colouring? I guess it hitched on the live rock. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/3 "2005-01-04T12:34:34Z")
> [@](#): > > The force of the strike of a large Californian species approaches that of a 22 caliber bullet, and is capable of breaking double layered safety glass. So doesn’t that mean he’s gonna be able to bust outta your tank and take over the Dry World? _Prepares for the invasion_ ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/4 "2005-01-04T12:59:40Z")
Oh boy, have fun. If you can catch him, you can put him in his own separate tank. They are very cool. Note that I said “if” you can catch him. They are notoriously evasive and will decimate the other tank inhabitants. I know a guy who dismantled his entire tank twice, poking a coathanger in every rock crevice, and soaking the rocks in soda water trying to kill his. He put everything back together only to hear the tell tale clicking. Sometimes you can catch them in a trap, but if you miss, they will never go near the trap again. Your best bet is to find someone with an octopus and borrow it - yep, I’m serious. An octopus can catch a Mantis Shrimp in about 3 seconds. And whatever you do, don’t try to catch it with your hands! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/5 "2005-01-04T13:07:52Z")
More on catching one: [Ye Olde Mantis Shrimp](http://www.aqualink.com/columns/k-strng1.html) If you know which rock he’s hiding in, remove it with a pair of heavy gloves and dunk it in a bucket of fresh or soda water. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/6 "2005-01-04T13:22:20Z")
Very cool. I’ve read a lot about stomatopods (there’ve even been a few threads here) but I’ve never really understood what they “smash” with. Is there a picture somewhere that highlights their business end? ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/7 "2005-01-04T13:35:59Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Very cool. I’ve read a lot about stomatopods (there’ve even been a few threads here) but I’ve never really understood what they “smash” with. Is there a picture somewhere that highlights their business end? Basically the smashers have big club-like appendages and the slashers have razor sharp claws like a preying mantis. As nasty as they are, they are very colorful creatures and quite attractive for a shrimp. There are pics of them on the site that the OP linked to: [Link](http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/intro/what.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/8 "2005-01-04T14:27:55Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > So doesn’t that mean he’s gonna be able to bust outta your tank and take over the Dry World? > > _Prepares for the invasion_ I, for one, welcome our new crustacean overlords. I’ve always wanted to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/9 "2005-01-04T14:40:23Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > I, for one, welcome our new crustacean overlords. > I’ve always wanted to do that. It ain’t no joke! > **[Meet Blueboard, Not Your Average Philodendron](https://www.blueboard.com/philodendron)** > > You may have been previously searching for philodendron, but instead, let's explore experiential rewards, incentives and gifts for your top scientists. ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/10 "2005-01-04T17:15:17Z")
> [@from linked website](#): > > The efficiency of their weapons is such that these mantis shrimps frequently tackle and subdue armored crabs larger than themselves, using the appendages to break the animals’ claws, legs, and carapace, before **dragging the battered remains to their burrows for leisurely consumption. Less mobile prey such as clams and snails are simply taken home, wedged against a wall, then cracked open.** :eek: Ruthless little bastards. Imagine being attacked by a giant mutant version of one of those things. You’re scuba diving when suddenly out of nowhere comes a crushing blow to your right leg, before you can react there’s another blow to your left. You try desperately to fight off the attacker but to no avail. Your arms are smashed just as easily and you’re rendered helpless. Through the mist of pain you feel yourself being dragged away from the surface. You’re pulled into a giant underwater cave where you see the carcasses of those who came before. It shoves you into a crevice from which there is no escape. It begins to feed… ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/11 "2005-01-04T17:22:37Z")
Well, you can just rock me to sleep tonight, **mornea**. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/12 "2005-01-04T17:26:17Z")
> [@mornea](#): > > :eek: Ruthless little bastards. Yeah, but I have a list of folks… “Hey is that your roll of twenties down there? Look, by the big rock. Look closer, bend over a bit…” ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/13 "2005-01-04T17:35:50Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > Well, you can just rock me to sleep tonight, **mornea**. Seriously! Now I know what people mean when they say they can “feel their scalp crawling”. Bleargh! ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/14 "2005-01-04T20:06:27Z")
> [@mornea](#): > > :eek: Ruthless little bastards. Imagine being attacked by a giant mutant version of one of those things. You’re scuba diving when suddenly out of nowhere comes a crushing blow to your right leg, before you can react there’s another blow to your left. You try desperately to fight off the attacker but to no avail. Your arms are smashed just as easily and you’re rendered helpless. Through the mist of pain you feel yourself being dragged away from the surface. You’re pulled into a giant underwater cave where you see the carcasses of those who came before. It shoves you into a crevice from which there is no escape. It begins to feed… I think you should consider a career in writing the endings for those Choose Your Own Adventure novels. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/15 "2005-01-04T21:04:43Z")
> [@](#): > > The force of the strike of a large Californian species approaches that of a 22 caliber bullet, Ah yes, _Hemisquilla ensigera_. It’s probably not one of them… IIRC they get to be well over a foot long. Which leaves the question, is this one of the species that lives in shallow water and has [excellent color vision](http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/bio/vision.htm). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/16 "2005-01-04T22:17:17Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > I think you should consider a career in writing the endings for those Choose Your Own Adventure novels. Heh. I loved those books when I was a kid. I wish they were still in print or I could find some used ones. > [@](#): > > It begins to feed… Luckily it didn’t begin to feed on you, preferring to finish off an earlier meal. As your air supply rapidly decreases, you begin to wish for death before the creature turns its attention back to you. Fortunately for you this is not a good day to die. Your diving partner with whom you’d been spearing fish, saw the attack and followed the creature to it’s lair. Your partner is able to kill the savage beast by attacking from behind and rescues you. You both return to safety. The giant stomatopod is recovered and you and your partner become famous. Eventually your wounds heal and people start hounding you to do research expeditions in that area. If your response is “Hey what are you crazy? I barely got out of there alive the first time!”, turn to page 74. If you start planning the next trip, turn to page 87. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/17 "2005-01-04T22:49:15Z")
Cool beans! I’ve heard, however, mantis shrimp are hard to keep in aquaria - they break the glass. There’s a fun story by Fred Saberhagen comparing the relative threats of sharks with mantis shrimp. It’s in one of his Beserker books, and great fun. If’n you’re interested, I’ll look up the name and book and post it later. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/18 "2005-01-04T23:13:58Z")
> [@mornea](#): > > Luckily it didn’t begin to feed on you,… Funny! I wish they would make some more well-written versions of these. I always loved the idea, but even as an elementary school kid I thought the writing was crap. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/19 "2005-01-05T00:17:49Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I always loved the idea, but even as an elementary school kid I thought the writing was crap. I saw a lot of them when I worked at a library. In _Dry Gulch_ I got stuck in a loop because I wouldn’t fight the gunfighter. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002/20 "2005-01-05T07:02:03Z")
FYI, **Lucretia** and **Susie** , the live rock our little friend stowed away on was bought from a supplier who harvests from our coastline. Anytime you go down the the loverly beaches of this fine state, you may be near one of these little monsters. The rock here was specifically taken from Tampa Bay. **Lucretia** , I’m looking _especially_ at you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mantis-shrimp-lives-in-my-house/283002.md?page=2)