Have you heard of the sea mantis? Despite being a fairly common animal, it is not one of the best known, and it has many remarkable qualities. Among them are his spectacular strength and his trinocular vision. Don't you know what this is? So I recommend that you continue reading.
In this article we will explain what is the marine mantis and what are its most curious and remarkable characteristics. It is an animal without equal that will surely surprise you in some other aspect. So do not stay without knowing this incredible marine crustacean.
What is a sea mantis?
When we talk about the marine mantis, we refer to an order of crustaceans belonging to the Hoplocarida suborder called Stomatopoda (stomatopods). Other names for these animals are galleys, mantis lobsters, shears, tamarutacas, and mantis shrimp. The reason why it is known by this last name is because of its appearance similar to that of terrestrial insects, especially with regard to the following features:
- raptor limbs
- Ability to mimic the environment
- predatory character
- Prominent and striking eyes
- Ability to distinguish and react to polarized light
The sea mantis is usually between 30 and 38 centimeters long, depending on the species. It has a shell that covers the eight anterior segments of the thorax and the head. The color of these animals is very varied and striking. They can be red, purple, orange, white, blue, green, ocher and brown. In addition, they have fluorescent and pale tones.
Although the sea mantis is a major predator in tropical and subtropical marine habitats and a fairly common animal, it is largely unknown. This is because they do not usually come out of their burrows They are well hidden in holes. These normally have passageways and are found in rock formations at the bottom of the sea. Regarding the location of the habitats of most of these species, these are the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. However, some live in temperate seas.
Of character They are solitary animals and also aggressive. When hunting, they are patient and wait until their prey is close enough to go for it. However, on some occasions they can even chase it, which is not very common in crustaceans. Depending on the species of marine mantis, it can be crepuscular, nocturnal or diurnal.
One of the strongest animals in the world
Now that we know what the sea mantis is, let's see one of its most striking characteristics: Its strength. It is surprising that such a small animal is one of the strongest in the world, right? Like the praying mantises terrestrial, the forelimbs of marine ones are raptors and have a lot of strength. With these limbs they capture their prey, using some of the fastest movements that exist in the animal kingdom. Through this fleeting but deadly movement, they crush or pierce their victims (depending on the appendages, which can be hammer-shaped or spiny).
To give you an idea: the attack speed of the sea mantis is equivalent to the speed that a 22 caliber bullet can reach. In the event that the animal's attack failed, nothing would happen, because the shock wave produced It is so powerful that it can stun the prey. Therefore, it will be extremely difficult for him to escape. In fact, with specialized scientific instruments it has been possible to detect that these rapid blows can produce a type of underwater spark. And that's not all! When that spark occurs, it can reach temperatures of hundreds of degrees.
A curious fact is that sea mantises are also known as "boxers". This is due precisely to those quick and violent blows they give. On some occasions they have even broken the glass of the aquariums where they were kept, with one punch! But they do not only break glass, but also the very hard shells of oysters and sea snails and the shells that crabs have. Not bad for such small animals, right?
More curiosities of the marine mantis
Apart from the extraordinary strength and speed of attack of the marine mantis, it still has some other curiosity to highlight. An example would be her eyes, which are extremely complex. Each of them is made up of thousands of ommatidia, which are the structures that compose them. They are arranged in such a way that they conceive the animal a trinocular vision. What does this mean? Well, each eye can measure both distance and depth without the need to complement the image with another eye. In addition, each eye is on a peduncle that has movement independent of the other. Considering that each eye operates as an individual structure, it is very difficult to escape its sharp gaze.
It is also necessary to highlight their behavior with respect to their peers, which is very complex and peculiar. Highly elaborate fighting rituals have been studied in order to defend their territory, at least in some species. They also tend to use various patterns of fluorescent colors to warn of their presence. Despite the fact that they are usually solitary animals, some species are monogamous and come to live together throughout their lives, but making it clear who has to take care of certain tasks, such as hunting or caring for the young. The life expectancy of these animals is usually around twenty years, but it can be higher depending on the species.
The animal kingdom is truly amazing. There are so many peculiar living beings with incredible characteristics that it is impossible not to be left speechless. I hope that this information about the marine mantis has been interesting to you, or at least curious, since it is a very remarkable crustacean. And there are still many more species to discover in the depths of the ocean!