Do high-powered aliens already live among us? OK, this question might be a stretch, but when I see some of the high-octane super critters that inhabit our oceans I have to ask myself that very question. One of the creatures that fits the bill of being an underwater alien is the Sea Mantis.
Not just by its appearance alone either. The Sea Mantis, otherwise known as a Mantis Shrimp, is a tough, long living and well equipped critter that is built to last. Man is quick to call himself the most advanced being on the planet even though much of our natural makeup leaves us vulnerable. Our vision is poor, our hearing capabilities are worse and most of our hunting skills are limited to the produce aisle in a supermarket.
Let's face it — our survival skill as humans are lacking at best and we should count ourselves as being lucky that Mantis shrimp never roamed the terrestrial planet’s surface.
Sea Mantis or Mantis Shrimp belong to the order of Stomatopoda and are more closely related to lobster than they are to shrimp. There are over 400 recorded species in the genera but they can easily be split into two groups, Smashers and Spearers, based on their raptorial appendages used in hunting. Found globally on sandy-bottom environments, Mantis construct and live in burrows ranging from shallow to deep-water troughs. Some burrows are elaborate with more than one door and others have nothing more than a small hole in a rock. And while Mantis are reported to pair up and be monogamous for life, they are rarely found sharing a burrow with another Mantis.
The most commonly seen Mantis in the Indo Pacific has to be the Peacock Mantis, often spotted as it leaves its hole to hunt. It will roam around, thus exposing itself to divers. The first thing a diver will spot is a greenish segmented creature darting across the substrate, half swimming, half running, then diving into a hole at seemingly supersonic speeds. Peering out cautiously, the Mantis will evaluate quickly if it needs to fight or flee.
There are two main features of the Sea Mantis that earn them the superpower title of “fangschreckenkrebse” (German for super claw-crab) that they so justly deserve. These two features are so well developed that even the best of our scientists are left to question why.
Want to see a gallery of these colorful critters and learn which features earn them their super claw-crab title? Check out Mike's Gallery of Aliens HERE.
