Nymox Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Very lucky to have been given this wee fellow today, I have wanted one for many a year! Have to get some softer sand for it but its otherwise happy, had a feed of prawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Nice . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirio Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Waaaah, where did you get him from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Makes me think of a Monarch caterpillar... except for those awesome eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Not bad. I was thinking Ren and Stimpy, but it's harder than I thought to get a pic of Ren's eyes sticking out of his head. Instead I found this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 What is it? Is it the larvae of something? Is it tropical or coldwater? :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_irl Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 it's one of these I assume: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp Don't they have the fastest movement in the animal kingdom with their claws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 one of our native mantis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 yes native Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Can remember seeing some as a kid growing up on the east coast in waihi/waihi beach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Mantis Shrimp, squilla armata. Found in shallow waters around New Zealand and Australia. Mantis shrimp are known to have the fastest strikes in natures, squilla armata are spearers not knockers. Squilla Amarta can reach sizes up to 2.5 - 3 inches no record captive sizes. Fine dense sand must be used as a substrate as they must be able to borrow to be able to exhibit natural behaviour. In the wild they consume small fish and crustacea, but can be fed raw fish and prawn in captivity. Both sexes show little dimorphism, males are far more aggressive toward other males and usually fights will result in death. Little is known about the breeding of these creatures, it is thought that the female will go looking for a male at about a year old, where she will be allowed access to the males burrow in order for them to mate in privacy, even less is known about the development of the young but they probably drift around with the rest of the zooplankton. I will add more information as I learn more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruju Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Wicked. Saw a peacock mantis shrimp when I went diving in Tonga. Like the genius I am I had to get close haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I would love a mantis shrimp !drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Sorry for the video quality but still quite interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirio Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I think I can make it out, can see the typical looking around Mantis shrimp do haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Man - you need to hold the cam still - I felt seasick after that one! Nice critter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted April 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Well, Miss Mantis is a strange one.. Too much attention went on Mr Painted Prawn So she moved in next door to him... Mr Painted Prawn is now just a few pieces of shell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Oh no! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 you can't stop nature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted April 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 That is one of the few certainties in the world. :sage: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Sounds like the prawn did just that - enter the mantis. After a little while he complete the journey and exit the mantis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted April 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 She didn't eat it, killed it and pushed the evidence into the dahlia anemone. If the prawn didn't have a big hole in it and she hadn't moved in next door I would have just presumed the dahlia got it. It will be interesting once its full grown, quite a creepy wee thing with the eyes on stalks watching you all the time. Thanks to the invention of the sun I can have a local marine down south, a solar powered pump and light to keep the water moving well and a buried sump for summer. I could even move it to the cellar if that didn't keep things cool enough. I'm going to add to the battery bank and get another solar panel just as a precaution but it seems to be running tank outside nicely here. L.A. will have to Mantis sit for me till I have a cycled tank set up down there, access to the coast isn't too far away and I have far more land to keep a lot more water so it works out very well. Yay I get to keep fish! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Wow sounds great! We need a photo of the setup :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted April 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Current setup has plastic plants for fresh water tanks, and is covered in algae. New tank so I kinda don't mind letting the algae do its thing. And the plastic plants are for the sea horse as I won't be able to keep the natural alternative alive for her. A photo would be embarrassing at this stage. The idea is that once the cemix back wall has matured these guys will grow all over it. Still a very very new tank, good things take time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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