Mantis shrimp - an amazing marine predator

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

Aggressive hunter, luxurious handsome man, owner of a unique vision - all this is a mantis shrimp. Aquarists avoid starting it at home. Crayfish easily break glass and exterminate all living creatures in the neighborhood. There are many rumors about their terrible claws. Is there a giant mantis shrimp? How dangerous is a predator for humans, where does it live and what does it eat? Let's find out now.

Habitat

The mantis shrimp, whose photo you can see, prefers the seabed of tropical seas. Divers can watch them in coral reefs. The crayfish spends all its time in shelters of crevices or dug holes and crawls out only when it is hungry. Despite their meek name, these marine inhabitants are real predators. Their prey: shrimps, fish, sea crustaceans, crabs and shellfish. To break the protective shell, the mantis shrimp throws forward a grasping claw at an incredible speed (about the same as that of a fired bullet). Then he grabs the victim and smashes it against the stones with force. Continues torturing prey untilall her insides won't come out. All his actions are unmistakable, he is perfectly oriented in the dark waters at the depth of the ocean.

Hunting style

Powerful strong claws are dangerous not only for small mollusks. The mantis shrimp is characterized by aggressive behavior and a short temper. He grabs everything around him if it bothers him. It can cause serious injury to a person, as it is not afraid of a larger opponent. And I really want to touch this handsome man! Its stunning colors shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.

Cancer can hunt from cover, waiting for prey to swim by, or go out in search. He is able to capture large fish, octopus or cuttlefish. A sharp push with the tail allows you to fall forward with lightning speed and kill prey. During the molt, these formidable hunters hide in their mink, prudently blocking the entrance with pebbles. At this time, the mantis shrimp sheds its shell and becomes dangerous to itself during the hunt, as it can be injured by prey clamped in a claw. He has to wait a week until a new shell grows.

Unique vision of the mantis shrimp

This is another feature that the marine predator boasts. His eye is arranged in such a way that it distinguishes 12 primary colors. For comparison: a person perceives 3 primary colors (blue, green and red, all other colors are transitional between the three primary). In addition, infrared and ultraviolet rays fall into the field of view of cancer,linear and circular polarization. How the mantis shrimp sees the world is impossible to imagine. Thanks to such a powerful weapon, arthropods from this family are perfectly oriented in any space.

Danger to humans are the inhabitants of the coastal areas of tropical resorts. And despite their modest size (up to 18 cm), these animals can cause serious injuries and acute pain to humans. Of course, cancer primarily defends itself, so you should not touch it out of curiosity. You can recognize such a violent aggressor by the incredibly beautiful colors and folded front grasping claws, like the well-known mantis insect.