Huge. Please help Identify.

This is actually not an insect, it's a type of crustacean known as the Mantis Shrimp. These odd-looking creatures use specially-modified claws to deliver lightning-fast strikes to thier prey (hence the name), the impacts of which can leave the prey, usually other crustaceans or fish, stunned and disoriented, or can even kill the victim if the blow is hard enough and is a direct hit. They live in nooks & crevices on coral reefs or small burrows they dig themselves, and are highly territorial, fiercely defending thier homes from all intruders, even other members of thier own species.

ive heard of mantis shrimp, but arent they the ones that use high piched clicks to stun a fish?

You might be thinking of the Pistol Shrimp, which also uses modified claws to deliver a stunning concussion at close range, like what happens when a flash-bang grenade goes off, minus the flash, and on a smaller scale. The Mantis Shrimp delivers a direct blow to it's target. The blow can even be strong enough to break glass, as there have been incidents where captive Mantis Shrimp would attack thier own reflection in the aquarium glass, thinking it to be an intruder in thier territory, resulting in the glass being shattered by the force of the strike.

Say Honkee Cat! Where in the heck did you obtain that extremely bizzare looking creature? In yer back yard? from the beach/ocean like Cris said? Looks like a giant potato bug (Jerusalem Cricket) to me!!!

it is a Mantis Shrimp (shrimp and crab family)

ChrisT


Registered: 08/2003
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Posts: 92


Been raising Mantises since childhood.
You might be thinking of the Pistol Shrimp, which also uses modified claws to deliver a stunning concussion at close range, like what happens when a flash-bang grenade goes off, minus the flash, and on a smaller scale. The Mantis Shrimp delivers a direct blow to it's target. The blow can even be strong enough to break glass, as there have been incidents where captive Mantis Shrimp would attack thier own reflection in the aquarium glass, thinking it to be an intruder in thier territory, resulting in the glass being shattered by the force of the strike.

Arent there 2 types of Mantis shrimps those they call smashers that have hammer/club like claws and those that slice with sharp claws?
I ask because yrs ago my cousin had what I am sure were 2 mantis shrimps in his Atlantic live rock that came from Key west.
He set up a reef tank with 75 lbs live rock and they were there. One day we set up a shrimp baited trap to catch them. The trap caught both and they fought it out in there before we could seperate them .
The fight lasted only a few seconds one smashed the other slashed both looked same but different claws.
The smasher killed the slasher but the slasher died few minutes later it was cut rather deep.
I am sure both were same mantis shrimp family same body/head both very colorful. I wouldnt want to get smashed/slashed by either even though they were both around 2 inches.

I've read that they're actually not shrimp. They're stomatopods. And they're very intelligent. I had one in my reef tank. You can see their eyes watching you as you walk by. Very creepy.