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| mantis shrimps text index | photo index |
| Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Stomatopoda |
| Spearer
mantis shrimp Harpiosquilla sp. Family Squillidae updated Aug 10 Where seen? This energetic shrimp-like animal is often seen on our Northern shores, especially among seagrasses. It is more active at night. Features: 6-10cm long. Body broad and long, colour plain grey or beige with fine dark bars and lines. Broad tail that have spiky edges and a pair of paddle-shaped appendages. Some have colourfully marked tails. The huge front pincers resemble those of the Praying mantis insect or the blade of a pocket knife that folds into the handle. Armed with sharp spines, the pincers extend and retract much faster than an eye blink and the sharp spines impale soft, fast-moving prey like fish and prawns. Status and threats: Our mantis shrimps are not listed as endangered. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. |
 Changi, Jul 05  |
 This is all that is usually seen of a mantis shrimp in hiding. Changi, Jul 04 |
 Broad tail with spiky edges and a pair of paddle-shaped appendages. Changi, Jul 05 |
Spearer
mantis shrimps on Singapore shores
 Chek Jawa, Feb 06  All kinds of scary predatory claws on the underside. |
 Changi, Jul 07  This one caught a little fish! |
 Changi, Jul 05  Deadly pincers |
 Chek Jawa, Apr 02 |
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more photos of spearer mantis shrimps on Singapore shores
northern shores part 1 | part 2 | part 3
southern shores
Links
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IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.|
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