These shrimp are no shrimps. Mantis shrimp are super-sized and behave more like vicious predators than some small creatures drifting in the sea and waiting to meet their fate in a bowl of cocktail sauce. Mantis shrimp use curved claws and lightning speed to snag fish from the water, and even walk right up to large lobsters and crabs and bop them on the nose with deadly effect!
Jumbo Shrimp: There's nothing shrimpy about these jumbos. Most shrimp measure an inch or two in length. These underwater "mantises" have bodies that can grow up to one foot in length.
Super Sight: Both of the mantis shrimp's eyes sit on a stalk. The shrimp uses the light-sensing ability in one eye to locate the victim, then by rotating the other eye, hones in on the target and calculates the distance before it strikes. The shrimp's underwater depth perception is much better than a human's.
Preying Shrimp[]
This shrimp swims backward when danger nears.
Mantis shrimp are deadly predators and can take down a surprising variety of prey. The creatures are named for their spined claws, which resemble those of insects called praying mantises. When hunting, these shrimp often dig a small burrow in the sand with just their head and claws poking up. These unlikely predators easily track fast-swimming fish that come too close, and can strike out at them in one-tenth of a second. Mantis shrimp impale victims with their spines, then pull them under the sand to eat them.
The Old One-Two: Some mantis shrimp simply overpower victims with a knockout punch. They are known to walk up to crabs or lobsters and crack through their armor with a lightning punch.
A Certain Glow: These shrimp glow in the dark. In a process called "fluorescing," the animals reflect rays of light that can be seen by few other creatures. This light attracts some prey, but the shrimp use it mainly to communicate with each other.
Lightweight Champ[]
- A hungry mantis shrimp crawls along the seabed and spots a crab. The shrimp walks up to the crab and "punches" it right in the face, stunning the victim.
- After a few punches, the crab's shell is cracked and the victim is severely injured. The shrimp rips off the crabs claws and legs so it is completely helpless.
- Another punch breaks the crab's shell open and the shrimp digs in, using its claws to bring the meat to its mouth.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The species of mantis shrimp featured in the illustrations is a peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus), while the photograph on the back features a zebra mantis shrimp (Lysiosquillina maculata).