With their vibrant colors, alien-like appearance, and lightning fast punch, mantis shrimp are one of the most fascinating creatures of the ocean. While humans may keep them as pets in aquariums, in the wild these aggressive crustaceans have to watch their backs to avoid becoming prey themselves.
In this article, we’ll explore what eats mantis shrimp in their natural habitats and how they defend themselves using specially adapted weapons and cunning strategies.
The Threats Mantis Shrimp Face in the Wild
Despite their formidable reputation mantis shrimp face threats from many larger marine predators. Here are some of their biggest enemies
-
Large fish – Groupers, barracudas, snappers, and eels are some fish that are known to feed on mantis shrimp. Their size allows them to overpower the shrimp.
-
Octopuses – With their eight sucker-covered arms, octopuses can catch hold of mantis shrimp to consume them. Some species even hunt them right in their burrows.
-
Marine mammals – Seals, dolphins, and small whales may snack on mantis shrimp as part of their diet. These intelligent hunters can devise strategies to grab the evasive crustaceans.
-
Wading birds – Herons, egrets, and other shorebirds patrol shallow waters looking for mantis shrimp and other prey. Their sharp beaks make quick work of snatching up unsuspecting shrimp.
-
Larger crustaceans – Crabs and lobsters may view mantis shrimp as food if they can overtake them with their strong pincers. Sizes and species that cohabitate with mantis shrimp pose the biggest threat.
Essentially any opportunistic marine predator that comes across a mantis shrimp sees it as a tasty meal option. Their nutritional value, lack of a shell, and relatively small size make them an ideal snack.
How Mantis Shrimp Avoid Becoming Prey
To survive in the hazardous ocean environment, mantis shrimp have evolved several defensive adaptations and strategies:
-
Burrowing – Mantis shrimp dig burrows in sediment or coral to hide from predators. Some even seal the entrance when danger lurks.
-
Camouflage – Mantis shrimp blend in with surroundings using patterns and colors that match seabeds. This makes them tougher for predators to spot.
-
Speed – With lightning fast strikes, mantis shrimp can react in an instant to flee or attack impending predators. They’re among the fastest crustaceans.
-
Armor – Thick exoskeletons help mantis shrimp withstand attacks from predators trying to crush them. Some also have spines for protection.
-
Weapons – The raptorial claws can deliver devastating blows to much larger animals that try to attack them or invade their burrows. Even marine mammals know to avoid those punches!
-
Counter-attacking – Rather than flee from predators, mantis shrimp will turn and aggressively attack them with their claws. Not many animals want to mess with them!
Thanks to these adaptations, healthy adult mantis shrimp stand a good chance of thwarting predators. Only the largest, cleverest hunters can usually succeed in making a meal of these feisty crustaceans.
The Impressive Mechanics of a Mantis Shrimp Strike
One of the mantis shrimp’s greatest assets in avoiding predation is its ability to launch incredibly rapid and forceful strikes with its raptorial appendages. Here are some key facts about these claws:
-
Can accelerate underwater faster than a .22 caliber bullet.
-
Strike with the force of a 22-caliber bullet – over 50 miles per hour.
-
Create cavitation bubbles that produce shockwaves upon collapsing.
-
Generate heat of over 4,700°F at impact.
-
Can break through hard shells and crack aquarium glass.
-
Allow mantis shrimp to both stun/kill prey and deter predators.
-
Come in “spearer” and “smasher” varieties adapted for piercing versus bludgeoning.
This deadly strike is the main reason mantis shrimp are able to hold their own against predators many times their size. It’s also how they crack open hard-shelled prey like clams or snails.
When Mantis Shrimp Do Get Eaten
Despite their defenses, mantis shrimp do still regularly fall prey to a variety of ocean predators. Here are some examples of when they are most vulnerable:
-
Young shrimp – Babies and juveniles lack the size, speed, and weapons that adults use to defend themselves.
-
During molting periods – When growing a new exoskeleton, shrimp are soft and unable to flee or fight back.
-
While mating – Some species are distracted and exposed while reproducing.
-
When dug out of burrows – Crabs, octopuses, and other burrow raiders can attack before the shrimp can respond.
-
Due to blindness or lost limbs – Injured or handicapped shrimp are easier targets.
-
Because of sheer size differences – Very large fish and marine mammals can easily overtake even healthy adults.
-
Due to surprise ambush attacks – Successful predators rely on stealth and strategy.
-
At night during low visibility – Crustaceans are less alert and reactive in darkness.
So while mantis shrimp use impressive tactics to avoid predation, they do still frequently end up as prey when circumstances give the predators an edge. Their key is staying vigilant.
Interesting Examples of Mantis Shrimp Predators
To get a better idea of mantis shrimp predators, let’s look at a few real-world examples:
-
Moray eels – These sly hunters will actually bait mantis shrimp by wiggling a fin near their burrows. When the mantis strikes, the eel dodges and grabs it.
-
Octopuses – Some species like the octopus cyanea specialize in flushing mantis shrimp from holes and ambushing them.
-
Groupers – By working in packs, groupers can surround and overwhelm even large mantis shrimp.
-
Seals – Crafty seals toss sand dollars into mantis shrimp holes, causing them to flee the collapsing burrow into the mouth of the waiting seal.
-
Herons – Herons impale mantis shrimp with their sharp beaks after the shrimp strike at them in territorial defense.
As you can see, different predators have evolved their own strategies for circumventing and exploiting the mantis shrimp’s defenses. It’s a constant evolutionary arms race for both hunter and hunted.
The Vital Role of Mantis Shrimp As Prey
While they don’t go down without a fight, mantis shrimp and other smaller ocean creatures play an important role as food sources for larger species. Here’s why they matter:
-
Provide essential nutrients like proteins, fatty acids, minerals and more.
-
Are a key part of marine food chains and ecosystem stability.
-
Support predators like fish, birds, and marine mammals higher up the chain.
-
Help maintain balanced predator-prey dynamics through reproduction.
-
Can indicate the overall health of habitats based on population sizes.
So mantis shrimp may not love being on the menu, but they fill a vital niche as prey to keep marine ecosystems functioning. The ocean needs its feisty crustaceans as much as it needs its cunning hunters.
In Summary
For all their power and pugnacity, mantis shrimp are still part of the complex marine food web, serving as sustenance for clever opportunistic predators. While they use impressive adaptations like weapons, speed, and burrows to defend themselves, mantis shrimp of all ages still end up as meals for a diverse array of fish, birds, and other sea creatures. Next time you marvel at a mantis shrimp’s neon colors and bulging claws in an aquarium, remember that in the open ocean it has predators constantly watching, waiting, and honing their techniques to turn even this fierce crustacean into a tasty bite!
What are mantis shrimp?
Despite their name, mantis shrimp are not true shrimp but a type of stomatopod: a relative of crabs and lobsters that has been on Earth for over 400 million years. There are more than 400 different species of mantis shrimp.
Peacock mantis shrimp—also called harlequin or painted mantis shrimp—are arguably the best-known of the family. The name of these bugs comes from their kaleidoscope shell, which looks like a peacock’s tail, and their hinged forearms, which look like a praying mantis’ and are hidden until they’re ready to attack. These wild, aggressive animals are known for having a punch that is as fast as a bullet and strong enough to break a crab’s claw.
Mantis shrimp live in warm, shallow waters in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They use their front arm, which looks like a raptor’s, to dig holes in the seafloor around a coral reef to make a home. When they move on, other marine animals may take up residence in the abandoned burrow.
Peacock mantis shrimp have red legs and rainbow shells that are usually blue, green, and yellow. They grow to be about the length of a butter knife. Their purple eyes are on top of stalks above their heads, and they can move apart to get a better look.
Not all mantis shrimp boast these spectacular colors. Zebra mantis shrimp—the largest of all the species—are named for their cream and brown stripes, while Red Sea mantis shrimp are beige with thin red stripes and a dark rear end.
But all these animals are best known for their mighty front claws—responsible for their impressive hunting skills.
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Mantis shrimp are small but impressive predators that can kill prey bigger than themselves. Depending on the species, mantis shrimp use one of two hunting strategies: “Spearer” species lay in wait then skewer unsuspecting fish by using a large spike at the end of their arms. Meanwhile “smashers” like the peacock mantis shrimp use their hammer-like claws to attack their hard-shelled prey—such as crabs and clams—with a powerful punch.
How does that punch work? The shrimp’s clubbed arm is held in place by a latch when it’s not in use, so energy can build up. A saddle-shaped spring within the arm helps store even more energy. When the animal lets go of the latch, the spring moves the claw forward 50 times faster than we can blink so that it can hit its prey. At 75 feet per second, it is one of the fastest limb movements of any animal.
The strike is so fast—the speed of a .22 caliber bullet—that it causes bubbles to form and collapse in the water. This energy release creates an impressive force thousands of times the shrimp’s bodyweight that combines with the initial strike to smash open the shell of a mantis shrimp’s prey, killing the animal inside.
Remarkably, mantis shrimp are unharmed by the blow thanks to complex layers within the club which absorb the impact and prevent the claw from cracking. This innovative design has inspired the development of materials for armor, sports helmets, and vehicles.
Mantis shrimp use the same technique to defend themselves from predators. However, they only use this energy-intensive method of self-defense if they must. When under threat, they perform a behavioral display known as a meral spread before resorting to violence: standing on their hind legs, puffing up their chest, and spreading their arms to look as large and intimidating as possible. If the predator isn’t put off by this display, the shrimp will attack.
These crustaceans have among the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Their eyes can work alone or together, so they can see far away and focus on their prey at the same time. Each eye has three focal points, allowing the animal to perceive depth with either eye.
Human eyes have three photoreceptors—cells that detect color—to distinguish between blue, green, and red light. With a staggering 12 photoreceptors, mantis shrimp can see 12 different wavelengths of light. It’s not clear what these photoreceptors are for, though, because they can’t tell subtle color differences as well as humans can.
Mantis shrimp are the only animals that can see circularly polarized light, which moves in a spiral. Humans can only see UV light and polarized light, which is made up of waves. According to researchers, this might let them talk to each other by showing patterns on their shells that only other mantis shrimp can see. This might help them attract a mate or indicate that their burrow is already occupied.
Mantis shrimp leave the safety of their burrow and zigzag across the sand until they find a mate. The female will store the male’s sperm until she is ready to spawn.
After laying her eggs, the female glues them together with a sticky substance secreted from a cement gland on her abdomen, gathers them up, and carries them into her burrow to look after them until they hatch. The young larvae can deliver the species’ famed punch after around nine days.
While not all species are monogamous, zebra mantis shrimp can live together in their burrow for life. But, with the male responsible for all the hunting, the female could starve to death if he is killed while out looking for food, or if he abandons her for a larger female who can produce more eggs.
Mantis shrimp are likely to be affected by rising sea levels, acidification of the ocean, habitat loss, and pollution, just like other reef species. They are preyed on by large fish, cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.
Peacock mantis shrimp are popular among aquarium enthusiasts but can be difficult to keep in captivity because they often eat other species and can break glass tanks with their claws.
People can eat mantis shrimp—in some Asian countries, they are considered a treat—but they don’t do it very often because they fight so hard.
Mantis Shrimp vs Octopus | Ocean Fight Night
What do mantis shrimp eat?
Depending on the species, they can be active during the day or entirely nocturnal. Mantis shrimp are a violent predator and their diet depends on the species. They typically eat fish, crabs, clams, snails, worms, shrimp and squid. They can also prey on animals much larger than themselves, due to their significant power.
What is a mantis shrimp?
In fact, they were mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean named for its resemblance to the praying mantis. Mantis shrimp show up as a sushi topping, are boiled whole, and eaten out of the shell, and appear in various Mediterranean cuisines (in Italy, they are Canocchie ). I tossed a couple of the suckers into a pot of boiling water.
Are mantis shrimp carnivorous?
Mantis shrimp are carnivorous marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda (from Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma) ‘mouth’, and ποδός (podós) ‘foot’). Stomatopods branched off from other members of the class Malacostraca around 340 million years ago.
Are mantis shrimp monogamous?
Some mantis shrimp species are monogamous, remaining with the same partner for up to 20 years. They live to together in the same burrow, and both male and female take care of the eggs. 14. Mantis shrimp are eaten in Japanese, Cantonise, Vietnemese, Mediterranean, Phillipino and Hawaiin cuisines.