The ocean is home to some of the most awe-inspiring and unique creatures in the world. Some of them are so unique that they are almost alien-like! One extremely unique sea creature is the mantis shrimp, which is a crustacean known for its intense punching power. Watch the video below which shows a crab take a devastating blow from a mantis shrimp.
The clip shows a small red claw crab walking around a lively aquarium. After walking by a cave of rocks, a bright mantis shrimp quickly runs out and delivers a swift blow to the crab. After hitting the crab, the shrimp flicks its magnificent tail, pushing itself back into the cave.
The hit was so powerful that it knocked the crab on its back! For the next few moments, we can see the crab flipping and rolling in the water, seemingly dazed by the massive blow. To end the video, the camera pans to the shrimp, who looks pleased with the outcome of his last brawl!
Mantis Shrimp Overview
Mantis shrimp has some of the best eyesight among the animal kingdom!
©Maxfield Weakley/Shutterstock.com
Although they are part of a fairly common animal group (arthropods), mantis shrimp are extremely unique and alien-like creatures. Most notably, they are known for some of their unique hunting strategies, such as burrowing and punching.
In many instances, they may pair these two hunting strategies together. With the burrowing strategy, the shrimp lie in wait in some sort of shallow cave or burrow. Once a prey item comes across the burrow, the shrimp will jump into action.
With mantis shrimp, many take down their prey with a powerful punch. As shown in the video below, this punch can daze prey, or even crack hard crustacean shells!
In addition to eating hard-bodied animals like crabs and clams, they may also go after soft-bodied prey such as small fish. For softer prey, mantis shrimp rely less on their powerful punching ability.
Can You Keep Mantis Shrimp As Pets?
Many people often wonder if mantis shrimp make good pets. Their unique hunting ability and bright color often captivate people.
In short, they can be kept in an aquarium, but they are relatively high-maintenance pets. First of all, they can be destructive to other animals in your tank, or even to your aquarium itself. For this reason, you must research into what animals can be paired safely with mantis shrimp. After all, you don’t want your shrimp to start a boxing match with any of your other aquatic animals!
Likewise, some people even try to avoid keeping certain corals or rocks in the tank, as stray blows from a mantis shrimp can utterly destroy them. Nevertheless, these wonderful animals are rising in popularity among aquatic petkeepers, which means there are a lot of resources on what you need to keep one for yourself!
Watch the Incredible FIght Here
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Martin Voeller/Shutterstock.com
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