Crustaceans
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Odontodactylus scyllarus · Crustacean — order Stomatopoda (mantis shrimps), a smasher-type stomatopod; not a true shrimp
The peacock mantis shrimp carries the fastest punch a diver will ever share water with — spring-loaded raptorial clubs that accelerate through water hard enough to crack crab armor, with a collapsing cavitation bubble striking a second time behind the blow. Aquarists call them thumb splitters; divers mostly meet flashes of emerald, scarlet, and turquoise scuttling between rubble burrows. The eyes may be stranger than the weapons: mounted on independent stalks, packed with more photoreceptor classes than almost any animal studied, and sensitive to polarized light, they track a passing diver like gun turrets. Females brood egg masses in the burrow, and monogamous pairs hold the same territory for years at some sites. Watch from a respectful half meter, and keep fingers, pointers, and dome ports away from the front door. The clubs answer for the shrimp.
Où et quand en observer un
« Résident » signifie que la plupart des plongées sur ce site permettent de les observer ; « saisonnier » signifie qu'ils sont présents de manière fiable durant les mois indiqués ; tout le reste est un bonus, pas une certitude.
| Destination | Fiabilité | Mois | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesia | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| AnilaoPhilippines | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Similan Islands & Richelieu RockThailand | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Lembeh StraitIndonesia | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippines | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| MoalboalPhilippines | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année |
Meilleur mois, en un coup d'œil
Les comprendre
Habitat: Rubble and sand near reefs, in U-shaped burrows the animal maintains and defends for long periods.
Aire de répartition: Indo-Pacific from East Africa and the Andaman Sea through the Coral Triangle to northern Australia and Japan.
Comportement: Patrols near the burrow in bursts, tracking divers with independently swiveling eyes; females brood egg masses in the burrow, and pairs at some sites hold territories for years.
Régime alimentaire: Hard-shelled prey — crabs, snails, clams — cracked open with hammer-like raptorial clubs.
Taille: généralement autour de 0.12 m; documenté jusqu'à 0.18 m (body length).
Comment se comporter avec lui
Observe from half a meter, never tease a burrow mouth with fingers or a pointer, and keep camera ports out of striking range of a displaying animal.
Conservation
Not formally assessed and locally common; collected for aquaria despite being a famously destructive tank resident.
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Regarder
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