Mantis Shrimp

I saw this article on shrimp and though "Wow, now there's something I can enjoy!" Nope! This is Mantis Shrimp-big difference from the yummy fried stuff I enjoy at Red Lobster or wherever I might get a good shrimp dinner.

I found out Mantis shrimp are marine crustaceans and are neither shrimp or mantids, but get their name from the physical resemblance to both the bug praying mantis and shrimp I love so much! They may reach up to 12 inches in length.

In Australia they are called 'prawn killers' an sometime referred to as 'thumb splitter' or ' claw shrimp' by modern divers-because of the easy way the Mantis shrimp mutilates small appendages. Mantis shrimp can break through aquarium glass with a single strike from one of these appendages-although it is said to be rare.

They spend most of their time hiding in rock formations or burrowing in the sea-bed. Then they wait for their victims to come to them. They rarely ext their lovely homes except to feed and relocate, most are nocturnal, I happen to think the Peacock Mantis is one of the prettiest I've seen-his/her picture is above. Oh yes, most species are found in tropical or subtropical regions.

I found this to be interesting, but slightly ewwwy. There around 400 species of Mantis shrimp which have been described worldwide; all living species are in the suborder Unipelata. They are commonly separated into two groups determined by their claws.

One is called Spearers and are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips used to stab and snag prey. The other, Smashers, have a club and developed a much more rudimentary spear; the club is used to bludgeon and smash the meals apart. Oh yummy.

Now for the really interesting part, the cooking. In Cantonese cuisine, the Mantis shrimp is a popular dish known as "pissing shrimp". Ewwwww! That's because due to to its tendency to 'ahem' urinate when cooked, so they're speared prior to cooking to help alleviate the situation.

I will never, ever order Mantis shrimp. Never!

For more information on the Mantis shrimp, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp

As far as owning one of these creatures, it's not out of the question. Just don't put them with other fish. They are carnivores, after all. I again found another interesting article on whether or not Mantis shrimp are pets or pests, visit; http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msubpestmshrimp/a/aa110498_3.htm

Thank you reading my blog and have a good day!

Cheers!