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Christer T
04/15/2006, 02:11 PM
My Favia has been looking poorer and poorer for a while. Today I think I’ve found the reason, something is living in it! Unfortunately it’s hard to get a sharp picture of the creature but someone maybe can tell me what it is and how to get it out of there? What you can see in the picture is the four antennas in two pair and the cylindrical green eyes.
http://www.tornros.se/Faviaodjur.jpg
DJ88©
04/15/2006, 03:17 PM
[moved]
nts9
04/15/2006, 03:50 PM
looks like a mantis shrimp
LeslieH
04/15/2006, 04:13 PM
Mantis shrimp don't eat or harass corals. They may bother one for a short while if they're digging themselves a burrow in the coral's rock but the small ones eagerly take advantage of already formed worm holes or natural crevices. They will go after crabs, shrimp, molluscs, etc. so if you have a clean up crew that's what's at risk.
Mariner
04/15/2006, 04:18 PM
It really does look like the head of a mantis shrimp (http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/ajones_odsc.htm)
Mariner
venwu225
04/15/2006, 06:59 PM
its just a mantis shrimp, they are fasinating animals, fantastic pets in their own right.

Google and find some information on them and you will see that they are alot more interesting then a LPS:
www.blueboard.com/mantis/

They do not damage corals, other than chip the skeleton a little on the inside. They do not eat corals nor kill the intentionally.
kmk2307
04/15/2006, 08:21 PM
I also agree that it is a stomatopod (= mantis shrimp). You may want to move it to a Q-tank or a bucket with aquairum water, provide lots of rubble or other hiding places, and then remove the coral after the mantis has moved out. Beware that one pair of appendages are (usually) modified to be raptorial - essentially they have switchblades for arms and can inflict a serious injury on one's hands. Even if it is small it could be dangerous. There is an entire forum on this website for people interested in mantis shrimp. They are a pretty ancient crustacean taxon and have very complex behavior, thus they make interesting pets. Someone would probably gladly pay your shipping expenses if you were to send it to them. Otherwise if you are going to destory it, I would take it and pickle it for my department's invertebrate zoology specimen collection.

Kevin
Christer T
04/16/2006, 05:23 PM
Yes, now it’s obvious, it’s the head of a matis shrimp. Thanks for the answers.

I have already found a new home for the shrimp here in my hometown. Now the question is, what is the best way to catch it?