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Interesting Facts about the Mantis Shrimp

[Phylum: Arthropoda] [Class: Malacostraca] [Subclass: Hoplocarida] [Order: Stomatopoda]

The common name suggests they are shrimps. But these powerful crustaceans are better known for their raptorial claws used for punching or spearing their prey.

This page contains some little-known mantis shrimp facts (scientific name Stomatopoda) including where they are found, what they eat, and how these burrowing marine invertebrates reproduce.

Mantis Shrimp Habitat & Geographic Range

Mantis shrimps inhabit most tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, but they're particularly common in:

Indo-Pacific regions (Australia, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia)
Caribbean Sea
Eastern Pacific Ocean
Parts of the Mediterranean (including the Red Sea)

They thrive best in fairly shallow coastal environments such as coral reef formations, rocky outcrops, and seagrass beds.

Mantis shrimps spend most of their lives hidden from their predators in coral crevices or muddy burrows - which they either discover or excavate themselves.

Mantis Shrimp Facts: There are two distinct species of these specialised predators, the "spearers" better known for snatching passing prey, and the more aggressive "smashers" that deliver extremely powerful punches to prey or rivals, such as when fighting for occupation of the best crevice.

Mantis Shrimp Characteristics

There are close to five hundred (500) species of mantis shrimp, known as stomatopod crustaceans. But, some of their funny scientific names include the thumb splitter, sea locust, and the prawn killer.

But the most distinctive feature in the mantis shrimp phylum is the use of an ultra-powerful strike that is actually capable of breaking aquarium glass, something for fishkeeping hobbyists to consider before having mantis shrimp in captivity.

For example:

The specialised forelimbs in the "puncher" species are club-like, thoracic appendages used to smash their prey, especially crab carapaces and snail shells. In fact, being able to punch up to 80 kph (50 mph) means they have the fastest strike in the animal kingdom.

But, the specialised forelimbs in the "impaler" species are sharp, barbed appendages used to spear soft-bodied prey, such as squids and fish.

It is a strike so fast that it actually creates cavitation bubbles that collapse with additional force. It also causes a secondary strike of heat and pressure.

One of the other fascinating facts about mantis shrimp relates to their extraordinary eyesight. Their complex eyes contain up to sixteen (16) photoreceptor types. To compare, humans only have three (3).

They can detect ultraviolet (UV) light, visible light, as well as polarization light. Moreover, they can move each of their compound eyes independently and they have trinocular vision in each eye. This creates an incredible depth perception and judgement of distance.

But wait - there's more:

Most of the mantis shrimp species are brightly coloured with displays of red, blue, and green, and some occasional neon accents. This kind of camouflage is ideal for life among vivid coral reef networks.

Interesting Facts about Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda) Mantis shrimps spend most of the time hidden in their cracks and burrows.

These secluded crevices serve as habitats and safety zones to retreat inside when they are molting.

Some of the complex behavioural traits include territoriality and ritualised fighting.

There are a few mantis shrimp types that also share burrows with a partner, a form of lifelong pair bonding.

Mantis Shrimp Size and Weight

As an average, their size and weight typically ranges between ten (10) and eighteen (18) centimetres long (up to 7 inches) and between twelve (12) and (90) grams in body weight (up to 3.2 ounces).

Still, one of the smallest is the peacock mantis shrimp, and one of the biggest is the zebra mantis shrimp, which can actually grow to more than thirty (30) centimetres long (12 inches).

What Do Mantis Shrimp Eat?

Smashers (the punchers)

The species that have club-like claws or appendages are able to crack open (smashing) the hard shells of marine crustaceans with their thick and hardened pads, so they usually eat:

Spearers (the impalers)

The species that have sharp, barbed appendages are able to snatch and capture (ambush) soft, fast-moving prey from the blue-tinged ocean environment, so they usually eat:

Even though all mantis shrimp types are carnivores, some are more opportunistic feeders than others, so they will scavenge for food if they need to. In simple terms, their feeding strategy is closely tied to the available food source in their particular habitats.

Types of Mantis Shrimp Species

Blueleg Mantis Shrimp (Hemisquilla californiensis)

They may be a little less colourful than other reef mantis shrimps, but Hemisquilla californiensis is all the more impressive for its size, often reaching 30 centimetres in length.

You're unlikely to see anything other than their eyes and yellow raptorial appendages peering out from a burrow. But they actually have bluish-purple legs and a reddish-brown body colour.

Blueleg mantis shrimps are one of the spearer-types that have a thick, stocky build with elongated claws designed for grabbing their prey, instead of smashing it to bits.

Distribution and Habitat

The temperate waters of the Eastern Pacific coastline are the best places to find Hemisquilla californiensis, especially California, Baja California, and the Gulf of California.

They thrive best in sand and muddy soft-bottom environments between 5 and 60 metres deep where they can build deep, U-shaped burrows, sometimes with two separate entrances.

Blueleg mantis shrimps are ambush predators. They hide inside their burrow until they get an opportunity to lunge forward with their spear-like limbs to impale fish, shrimp, and other small crustaceans.

Pro Tip: The ecological role of these mid-level predators helps to control excessive populations of small fish and benthic crustaceans in soft-bottom marine ecosystems.

Caribbean Striped Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquillina glabriuscula)

Common Mantis Shrimp (Pseudosquilla ciliata)

Dark Mantis Shrimp (Neogonodactylus curacaoensis)

Green Marble Mantis Shrimp (Gonodactylus platysoma)

Japanese Mantis Shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)

Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp (Gonodactylaceus ternatensis)

Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus)

Philippine Mantis Shrimp (Gonodactylaceus falcatus)

Pink-eared Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus latirostris)

Purple Spot Mantis Shrimp (Gonodactylus smithii)

Sulcate Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquillina sulcata)

Zebra Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquillina maculata)

How Do Mantis Shrimps Reproduce?

In the wild, mantis shrimp lifespan is rather long and usually lasts between three and six years. Even so, they can live much longer in captivity, often up to twenty (20) years.

Their reproductive strategies are quite complex, and they vary according to the different species. It is common for some mantis shrimp species to form long-term monogamous pairs and share a burrow for life. Others tend to be more opportunistic and mate without any specific bonding.

Courtship and Fertilisation

The mating ritual involves lots of colourful displays and some coiling body postures. They use their advanced vision and telson (tail fan) for communication during the rituals.

Fertilisation occurs internally after the male transfers sperm to the female. Shortly after, the female produces large clutches of eggs, sometimes up to fifty thousand per egg mass.

Key points...

The egg-carrying species use their maxillipeds to retain a bright orange mass of eggs. The female cleans them and aerates them, continuously protecting the eggs until they hatch.

Whereas, the burrow-nesting species attach the sticky eggs to the inside walls of the nesting burrow. Both parents will guard the burrow until the eggs hatch into planktonic larvae.

They drift in open water for several weeks (up to 3 months) while they undergo multiple molts. The juveniles will eventually find a suitable location to settle on the seafloor and begin a burrowing lifestyle.

Mantis Shrimp Predators and Threats

Despite their unquestionable power, most of the mantis shrimp species face multiple natural predators and several human-driven threats as well. In the wild, predation occurs most from:

Large fish (e.g., groupers, snappers, triggerfish)
Octopuses
Moray eels (especially California morays and giant morays)
Sea birds (less common)

Other contributing factors for the decline in a few vulnerable areas include certain types of human behaviour (e.g. coral reef destruction and degradation, overfishing).

Important: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive source of information about the global conservation status of animals, fungi, and plants. Currently, the IUCN lists the majority of mantis shrimp as "Least Concern" (LC).

Related Information and Help Guides

Note: The short video [4:41 minutes] presented by 'Deep Marine Scenes' contains more mantis shrimp facts with footage of the marine crustacean that has the fastest punch in the animal kingdom.