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Mantis Shrimps: Stomatopoda

Mantis Shrimps And People

Mantis shrimps are especially sensitive to pollution. Their presence or absence in coral reefs allows scientists to gauge the environmental health of the habitat. Some mantis shrimp species are popular pets in saltwater aquariums. Squilla mantis is a very tasty species. Efforts are underway to culture them as human food in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

LIGHTNING FAST AND PACKS A PUNCH

The strike of the raptorial limbs of mantis shrimps is one of the fastest movements in nature. They can strike at prey in just 2 milliseconds. The blink of a human eye takes 100 milliseconds. Two of the larger smasher species, Hemisquilla ensigera and Odontodactylus scyllarus, can strike with a force nearly equal to that of a .22 caliber bullet and are known to have smashed the double-layered safety glass of public aquariums.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMollusks, Crustaceans, and Related SpeciesMantis Shrimps: Stomatopoda - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Mantis Shrimps And People, No Common Name (nannosquilla Decemspinosa): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS