2 Mantis in the same rock?

[RTaylor]

Extricated one mantis out of a mushroom rock on Sunday. Can still hear clicking sounds and see movement within the rock. Can see antenna poking through the holes. Also have tons of baby shrimp throughout the tank, Mantis babies? also have a skunk cleaner, and a fire shrimp in the tank. What're the odds of 2 mantis in the same rock?

[crgeltn]

Yes, it can happen. I would gladly take any mantis that you didn't want. :D I will be glad to pay shipping!

[Gonodactylus]

In the field, I think the most gonodactlylids I ever found in one breadbox size piece of coral rubble was 22. It is not uncommon to find 2-4 in even a small grapefruit size piece if rubble is scarce. These can be the same or different species. Often times they can coexist because there are different sized cavities and each animal just fits into its own. Bigger animals can't get in to evict a resident and smaller animals would not even try.

There is also another possibility. Many gonodactylids including N. wennerae pair for several days prior to the female laying her eggs. The male guards the female and keeps all other males away. As soon as she lays her eggs, he leaves. Sometimes in the the field if their is another cavity in the same rock, he simply moves around the corner. He recognizes his former mate by odor and will not attack her for a month until their eggs have hatched and the larvae have entered the plankton.

The "babies that you see, if they are swimming in the water column, could be larval stomatopods. If so, they will be gone in a couple of days. They can't survive in an aquarium for more than three or four days.

Roy

[bewildered]

These baby shrimp in my tank have been there for at least 2 weeks, they are at least 5/16 of an inch long already

[Gonodactylus]

It is highly unlikely that they are mantis shrimp.

Roy

[bewildered]

I just got the second one out of the rock, it looks exactly like the first one. They were not pretty at all. Just a dingy brown,green color w/ stripes down it's back. They both were the clubber kind, now they're both dead.

[crgeltn]

You did NOT have to kill it! I offered to take it off of your hands and would have gladly payed for shipping! Just take a look at the rest of these threads and you will find plenty of others looking for one! I bet there was someone local who would have even picked it up if you didn't want to ship it. :(

[supernip]

i have those little guys too. I dont think they are mantis shrimps either. they're filter feeders as far as I can tell form your description

[Python73]

Tons of baby mantis shrimp? Oldest one in the book. Do a search for amphipods. Crgeltn - take a chill. He still has plenty of amphipods, nobody can kill them all. :)

S !