Pistol or Mantis Shrimp?

[Hugh Mann]

This one is gonna be a tough one, as I don't have, and probably won't be able to get pictures.

Tonight as I was feeding my eel I kept hearing a 'pop' or 'clack' sound, but I attributed it to the cats messing around.

Then I caught a dark blur in my rock work. The one piece of actual liverock I bought from a store. I kept watching, and sure enough, out of a hole right next to my hermit crab, a tiny, maybe 1" thing darted out at the hermit, heard the "clack" and it just as quickly retreated. I watched it do this a few more times, same thing every time. Tried to get a photo and video, but it was too dark (blues).

Consulting with a fellow reefer, we landed on it is likely either a mantis shrimp, or pistol shrimp. Leaning towards mantis.

I have heard these are pretty nasty suckers to have in the home aquarium, but I am guessing it has a ways to grow before it becomes a problem. That being said, I would like to eventually try and capture it to house in a species specific tank.

I have heard taking a bottle, cutting the neck off and reversing it makes a great trap. However there is an eel in this tank, and I'd worry about him trying to jam his fat head into the trap for the bait.

On a side note, this same rock also came with a free crab of unknown type, but I haven't seen it in months. Think the eel may have eaten it.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Hmmm...Mantis shrimp tend to have a more smooth way of moving as opposed to pistol shrimp. Do you know if the blur was more of a jerky blur or more of a smooth blur, if that makes any sense at all? Try looking at mantis shrimp videos, they do a pretty good job of showing mantis locomotion, which is different from pistol locomotion. But given that you described it as “darting”, my money’s on it being a mantis as well.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Having reviewed some videos, I'm 90% sure it's a little mantis.
This thing is has been in there since February, when I got the rock and only now am I seeing it. Wonder if it, despite the small size is responsible for my missing CuC?

 

[ichthyogeek]

Probably? Depends on the CUC, but given that it took a literal whack at a hermit crab, I'd say so.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Two hermits and 5 assorted snails. I assumed it was the eel. Could be both. I don't know. Hermit didn't seem overly bothered by it, and is still alive as of this morning.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I would vote mantis as well. Pistols will have a crack sound, but don't usually run out to "hit" things. The pistol shrimp just snap their claw which makes a super heated bubble. While the mantis uses its club like appendages to damage it prey. ~ Shaun K.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I think I have a pistol shrimp from some FL live rock. I have never seen it in 2 years but I hear it often.

Maybe this is why your cats are having mad zoomies around the tank at 2 am!! They have to know what the sound is!

 

[Hugh Mann]

Different tank, but maybe. Their hearing is a touch more sensitive than mine I'm guessing.

Since I don't hear it snapping all the time, definitely makes me think mantis for sure

Took a good, close look at the rock under my whites, of course I didn't see it, but the amount of life crawling around on that rock that I have never seen before, or intentionally put in there blows me away. All sorts of crawlies, copepods, little worm things. Just teeming with life.

 

[GeneralWrassement]

I’m having the same issue!!!!! Hello all I’m super new here (bout 29 minutes) started a 32 gallon nano w Florida live rock And 2 weeks in a heard a slapping/clacking noise shot up straight in bed at 2 am and I felt it in my soul it was a mantis but I chalked it up to my craziness w starting a tank and imagining the worst. I’ve had it for 4 months now and the clacking is daily. 5 days ago I saw something looking at me- it was a shrimpish looking creature dark and ugly af gave me chills how smooth is moved back into the rocks. 2 days ago I set a trap to catch my neon dottyback back (he was too aggressive w clown fish) and low and behold I saw the ugliest creature w a bright a red head pop out of a rock at the Bottom of my formation- I need him gone ASAP and I fear I may have two since the clacking can be heard on the opposite side of his den sometimes and the first one I saw was up towards the top NOT the bottom. Any tips on killing this (or anybody in south Florida want this beast?)

 

[Hugh Mann]

Sounds like you definitely got yourself a mantis. The only ways I have heard to get rid of them.

Shrimp trap. Cut the end off a bottle and reverse. Place bait, chunk of shrimp or whatever and wait.

Manual Removal. Basically distmantle your rock work and isolate the rock with the shrimp in it.

Chlorine Trifluoride. Will completely sterilize anything and everything in your tank, killing the mantis. (This one is a joke)

 

[Hugh Mann]

I finally got a (terrible) picture of this little click clacker. Just of a claw, but I'm fairly certain it's a tiny, green pistol shrimp.