Fish Identification Photos: Mantis Shrimp or Giant Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis. The Mantis Shrimp is a crustacean and member of the order Stomatopod, suborder Hoplocarida, and class Malacostracea, and it a species of much folklore.

The Mantis Shrimp looks like a cross between an insect and a lobster. It is reported to be the world’s fastest striking animal in underwater combat. Mantis Shrimp have been in existence for 135 million years and have been named as “spearers and smashers” or “weapons shrimp.” They are all highly specialized and skilled carnivores making underwater attacks with enormous force measured at over 30 feet per second.

Mantis Shrimp have a second pair of thoracic legs which have been modified into grasping limbs similar to those of a preying mantis insect. They have two sets of antennae that allow them to chemically sense the direction of any hidden prey and a unique set of highly developed eyes that provides them with an acute awareness of their immediate vicinities. Mantis Shrimp have a rather small shell (carapace) and utilize their first pair of claws to grip food and, the third and fifth pair of legs to shred it. They use their sixth and eighth pairs of legs for walking. They use five pairs of legs for swimming, and with these they are able to generate their enormous attack speeds. Globally there are 42 species of Mantis Shrimps known, of which 16 reside in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

This species of Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis, is characterized by the absence of teeth on the raptorial claw, brightly colored, purple to lavender uropods, and the four uniform length denticles at the end of the carapace. It ranges in size from 3 to 4 inches and is found in all Mexican waters including along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, throughout the Sea of Cortez, along the coast of the mainland and around all oceanic islands.

It is found in burrows of 1 to 4 inches in diameter, over sandy or mud bottoms, in both deep (up to 300 feet) and shallow water. Their burrows extend in all directions below and parallel to the surface for 3 to 10 feet. They are primarily night stalking predators, normally waiting motionless in their burrows for passing prey. This Mantis Shrimp utilizes a front pair of limbs as massive grasping appendages. They have enlarged and extremely tough elbows which they use to smash crabs and other hard shelled prey. After immobilizing a prey they are known to break open the victim by smashing it on a nearby favorite adjacent rock that serves as an anvil. They also have stiletto-like, pointed fingers that can be used to deliver the coup de grace. Their diet consists of small crustaceans, snails, clams, sand dollars, urchins, brittle stars, worms and fish. Mantis Shrimp are nonmigratory, with the burrows suited for defense, feeding, mating, reproduction and molting.

Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis: Provided by Mexican panguero bait salesmen in January 2008, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Size 4 inches. They know how to bite! Description and photo courtesy of John Snow. Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla ensigera californiensis: “Collected” in, alive, via regurgitation by a monster from the deep in 100 to 150 foot deep water, while fishing with Captain Pata in the panga Solome, about 20 miles north of La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. IT BITES! Photo courtesy John Snow.