L.Mac. Pics

[phoenixofthepyre]

Just felt like posting these.
This is my Lysiosquilla Maculata mantis shrimp. They are the largest known mantis shrinp in the world and my favorite. So far he is only about 4 1/2 - 5" but he will get about 15" when he is a full grown adult. He is housed in a 150g with a few other tankmates, but when I move he will get his own aquarium. I've tried several times to get a "mid-attack" picture but he is too fast for my camera to get a decent shot.

 

[lion_crazz]

Wow, I have never seen one of them before!!!
What are you housing it with currently?

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

Black Volitan Lionfish
Red Sea Sailfin Tang
Walking Batfish
Blue-Spotted Grouper
Frogfish
All have been together for quite a while and with no mishaps.

 

[skyhigh222]

man it looks nasty. You sure you wane keep it when it gets bigger. here is how big it gets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7iUmdUhGU8

 

[caseysimp7]

it looks like a hornet mixed with a lizard!!!really sweet

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

Originally Posted by skyhigh222
http:///forum/post/2489655
man it looks nasty. You sure you wane keep it when it gets bigger. here is how big it gets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7iUmdUhGU8
I know, That's why I'm going to set him up in his own aquarium soon enough. they say it takes a while for this mantis to reach his full length, but he is doing very well and I hope to keep him long enough to get that large.

 

[skyhigh222]

man i bet nobody got the $#%@ to put his hand in the tank.

 

[maxalmon]

Thats crazy, but cool at the same time

 

[babyb]

wow i would be so afraid to walk by the tank for fear it would jump out and get me
scary

 

[blazehok68]

Originally Posted by skyhigh222
http:///forum/post/2489655
man it looks nasty. You sure you wane keep it when it gets bigger. here is how big it gets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7iUmdUhGU8
holy crap......i am totaly afraid of shrimp now. that little ba$tard could really mess a person up. scary stuff

 

[clownfish11]

dude im so afraid of that thing

 

[clownfish11]

howd u get him into that bucket ...brave man..brave man, and those things can crack glass when the stab at it

 

[air_putih]

wow....nice one...
looks scary..but pretty....well..pretty scary huh ?

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

Yes he is an awesome pet.
He is not a shrimp, mantis shrimp are actually stomatopods and not shrimp at all.
Yes they CAN break glass, but its extremely rare. I have never had a mantis break glass on any of my aquariums and I've kept several species. I only know of like 2 incidents of glass breaking and they both happened at a lab with very large specimens. The reason, if I remember correctly, is they were expanding their burrow and were "whacking" at the glass thinking they could go deeper, and eventually broke though it.