i think i have a mantis, maybe???

[donk18]

okay so i got some live rock from a local reefer out of his display tank. this is about 3 wks ago. i have everything set up in a 18 gallon rubber maid because of the big tank disaster. and i start hearing clicking. i thought maybe my hermits making noise so i blow it off. i get my display set back up. but two nights ago i am doing my nightly scan of the tank with a flash light because the rock this guy gave me had just tons of stuff and i look in a hole and there is somthing in there but i don't know what. it looks like a shirmp head or something realy wierd looking. but everytime i shine my light on it, it goes all the way back in its hole. i go to bed and think nothing of it. didn't see it yesterday then tonight it is poking its head out again. so i get my poker stick and put a piece of krill on it and stick it out side its hole. it grabs a piece and goes back in its hole. this thing hates the light i shine on it. so i can never get a good look at it. i did see what looked to be a greenish claw though with maybe a white tip. so after a while i put the tip of the stick in the hole and i hear click click click click. well that wasn't my hermits making the noise now. is this a mantis?? if not what else will click like that? and help would be great. i will get a pick soon if i can.

[marinemad]

sounds like a mantis to me you just gotta decide if you gonna keep him! they can be quite evil!

[Reefscape]

Either a mantis or a pistol shrimp....The appendages are the give away here...What did it use to grab the krill off the stick?

[apelaston]

braver than me. i would probably have removed the rock with my long thick rubber gloves, but it in a bucket w water and returned it lol

i had a gorilla crab in one of my rocks unknowingly and had noticed that something had OBVIOUSly died in one of the small holes so i took a syringe and shot water and here came this huge gorilla crab flying out. it looks like he got stuck in the hole somehow and died....

[donk18]

like i said i can't really see it at all. it looked like a long arm reached out and was grabbing pieces off of the krill. i will look again tonight and try not to **** it off by poking in its hole. maybe even get a pic. if i can.

[apelaston]

i personally would p** * it off in hopes that it would come out. I don't mean put it in harm by jabbing it in the eye or anything, but i would provoke it enough to come out for sure.

[donk18]

i got some pretty good pics tonight. what do you think. mantis or pistol.
49445

49446

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[mcsassy]

Doesn't look like a mantis to me...they have a mantis at my LFS and he punches random things that you put in his little cubicle.

[donk18]

i think it is a pistol shrimp

[apelaston]

looks a lot like a pistol shrimp to me...could you coax him any further out to chase that food?

ok i am sure if you could you would have..never mind lol

[salty420]

hmm hard to tell for me, do you have a red light to shine in there at night?

[donk18]

no i just use a flash light

[Reefscape]

The point on the shrimp i have arrowed....Are they eye stalks? If they are, its a mantis. Pistol shrimp do not have eye stalks...

[donk18]

that is the only picture that made me think it was a mantis shrimp. i will have to try and get a better picture.

[7faces]

i didnt think mantis shrimp were real shy...all the stuff ive seen on em, they kinda run all over without much fear... but i really dont know..i thought i read that somewhere

[journey0820]

My mantis would poke his fat head out of the hole but didn't come running around alot.

[Octavarium]

Looks just like my pistol. There clicks can be described as lights popping or an old school heater popping when exposed to air.