Holding a Huge Mantis (video )

Dolf · #1 03-23-2009, 11:51 AM

I saw that a month or so back. I had done a search on a lionfish on youtube and that come up as a link. I was thinking that he is putting a lot of trust in a shrimp with a brain the size of a grain of rice- an animal that will act on instinct as much as anything else. Oh, what a well trained shrimp he has...

levi1803 · #2 03-23-2009, 12:51 PM

I don't think I would be doing that, he's got more guts than I do.

Chowder · #3 03-23-2009, 03:48 PM

Thats just crazy. What would even make someone think of that?

Chris

justinl · #4 03-23-2009, 04:11 PM

that's not brave, that's just plain stupid. This is one of the species that can split your finger down to the bone. Mantis shrimp also tend to get a lot of nasty bacteria growing on their carapaces; which is why they molt... so they don't infect themselves. And being terrestrial in nature, we don't have much defense against marine viruses and bacteria.

Leah · #5 03-23-2009, 04:13 PM

I will remember that everytime I siphon out my tank, yum!

subman · #6 03-23-2009, 04:56 PM

It reminds me of a documentary on sharks I was watching a while back, a so called expert was walking knee deep with i think it was bull sharks talking about how they won't attack because he's not afraid and they can sense it, Then one of them stripped his calf off! I'll see if I can find the video and post it.

subman · #7 03-23-2009, 04:57 PM

here is the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pjbH5OuBc4

my2rotties · #8 03-23-2009, 05:04 PM

I had one of those and returned it to the store since it was a risk to try to do anything to the fuge with him in there. Mine struck out at me and missed and I could feel the wake of the water as his spears whipped past my hand. I could hear the strike as well. I do know they are opportunistic so this guys shrimp just did not have the correct range to strike out at him. They need a certain amount of distance to strike and this guy was just lucky he was not in correct range.

I would not say that they are stupid at all. It is a very formidable predator and I saw it let a damsel fish sit on it's head for a number of days prior to killing and eating it. They love to hunt and enjoy live foods which I just did not have the stomach to give him anymore.

I hope we see a video with him getting nailed in the future. That shrimp could skewer his hand and then what is he going to do to get it out?

sunce_22 · #9 03-23-2009, 06:24 PM

I have held one of of my mantis shrimp, just a little one, but I wouldn't do it again, it was a very impulsive move due to a lack of having a net... didn't quite think that one through very well, but all still have all my fingers lol.

Everyone goes through a lapse of good judgement every now and then, its whether you learn from you mistake or not!