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| mantis shrimps text index | photo index |
| Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Stomatopoda |
| Smasher
mantis shrimp Gonodactylus chiragra Order Stomatopoda updated Feb 09 Where seen? This shrimp-like animal is sometimes seen on our Southern shores, near reefs and among seagrasses. It is more active at night. Features: 5-7cm long. Body long, cylindrical, plain green with lines of white spots on the narrow tail. The huge front pincers are modified into clubs. These are used to bludgeon shelled prey. While snails and clams are simply dragged back to the burrow, crabs are often first immobilised by blows to the claws and legs. In the safety of the burrow, the victim's shell is further cracked. The blows of smasher mantis shrimp are so powerful that they have been known to break aquarium glass! |
 Pulau Semakau, Feb 09 |
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 Side view of smashers. |
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Spearer
mantis shrimps on Singapore shores
 Sisters Island, Jun 07 |
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 Sisters Island, Jun 07 |
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 Sisters Island, Jan 07 |
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 Pulau Semakau, Aug 07 |
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Links
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IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.|
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