A shrimp mantis is a truly unique creature. It has some features that are not found among other representatives of the terrestrial fauna; therefore, it is an object of close study. Our article will talk about these amazing crustaceans, their species and lifestyle.
Name and nicknames
The name is due to a certain resemblance to a mantis insect - a brave predator and a strong adversary for any natural enemy. But, in fairness, it is worth noting the following. If the praying mantis had to enter the battle with the crustacean of the same name, he would have no chance. And the battle would hardly have lasted more than a few fractions of a second.
There are about 450 varieties of mantis shrimps. All of them have won mixed fame, and therefore they are often called fighters, murderers, and terrorists. In fact, these animals are not shrimps, let alone mantises, it is more correct to call them rotopods.
It is worth noting that nature rewarded the rotopod with a surprisingly beautiful appearance. Hence another nickname - peacock shrimp.
Characteristic appearance
Consider the features of the structure. What is the length of the body, the shape of the fighting limbs, and how many pairs of antennae do the mantis shrimp have?
Like all crustaceans, rotonogs have 5 pairs of limbs: the first pair is short sensitive legs, the second is a powerful weapon, the other three pairs are designed for walking. On the front of the case there are also pairs of antennae antennas.
Peacock mantis shrimp in length can reach 40 cm, but representatives of the vast majority of subspecies usually do not exceed a decimeter.
Praying Mantis Shrimp
The folded limbs with which the orthopods smash the enemy outwardly resemble the feet of a mantis. But their mechanism of action is more like a crossbow. The muscle is pulled like a bowstring to throw the limb forward with a descent comparable to a bullet of a large-caliber pistol.
Just imagine: for the moment you blink, theoretically, a mantis shrimp could hit a prey 50 times! Scientists can only consider how the blow occurs with the help of slow-motion high-speed shooting.
It is also interesting that the mantis shrimp, whose impact force reaches 150 kg, weighs less than 100 grams. And the departure speed of a limb can reach 80 km / h. This is comparable to an accelerated bus.
Cavitation explosion
Scientists have discovered another unique ability of the rotopod. They hit the victim not only with kinetic energy. An ultra-fast movement, which no other living creature on the planet is capable of, creates even faster whirlwinds under water. Particles of water are heated to huge temperatures. The resulting cavitation bubble explodes at the moment of contact with the victim’s body.
To observe this phenomenon, researchers have to slow down the survey by 50 thousand times.
The shrimp mantis easily copes with the shells of crab, crushes and cuts off its claws, can kill fish swimming by at high speed, and often attacks even those who are many times larger than it (for example, octopuses). Experienced divers try not to touch the footed, because for curiosity you can pay with broken and even torn fingers.
Crushers and piercers
Scientists divide all rotopods into 2 groups, each of which belongs to many species. The former are armed with claws resembling heavy maces, therefore they are called “crushers”. At the ends of the limbs of the representatives of the second group there are spikes resembling bayonet-knives. This group is conditionally called "piercers."
The behavior of the first and second also has some features. Most crushers live in the cracks of underwater rocks, natural folds of the relief. The “piercers” prefer to build their own homes — they dig holes.
Unique eyes
Phenomenal vision is another gift from nature that the mantis shrimp received. Photos of ornithogs allow only a partial assessment of the capabilities of their eyes. In the illustrations, we can notice that the organs of vision work autonomously from each other, which allows us to conduct an overview of space by almost 360 degrees.
However, the most interesting we can learn only with the help of high-precision modern technology.
The human eye has 2 types of receptors. The mantis shrimp has 16! The foot-pedicles are seen not only in black and white and color range, but also in infrared and ultraviolet. In addition, they can recognize polarized light.
For comparison, we can cite the fact that all the shades we see are composed of three primary colors: blue, yellow and red. And the mantis shrimp has not 3, but as many as 16. The human brain simply could not analyze the extravaganza of color that is accessible to the ornate.
Mantis in the aquarium
Spectacular appearance and active behavior, which is certainly interesting to watch, could not go unnoticed by aquarists. In their environment, rotonids are called shrimp-mantis. But if you dream about such a pet, do not flatter yourself. A handsome man, like no one else, able to see the beautiful, will destroy everything around him and will quickly kill his neighbors. A shrimp mantis will easily deal with aquarium glass, because its impact is comparable to a shot from a 22-caliber pistol.
In research laboratories, these creatures are kept in shockproof plastic containers. And only one by one. After all, engaging in a battle with a congener for rotonogs is a common thing. And the carapace that protects the mantis cancer is powerless against its claw. Such fights invariably end in the death of one of the fighters. In the underwater world there is no proportionate creature capable of defeating the mantis cancer, but this is within the power of its relative.
