Just got a male G. ternatensis named Bruce!

[stardrop]

Are these guys rare? He was in a local shop mislabelled as a peacock. Once I identified him from Dr. Roy's web page (thank you very much for that page) I went in and bought him. I descerned him from a peacock by his peach/orange meral spots.

He's in a cycled 12g Nanopod. This set up comes with metal halaide lights that I'm afraid to use because someone here mentioned that there's a problem with shell rot. Anyone clear that up for me??

Just happy so far to have the little guy. The only pics I have so far are the ones I used to id him in his little container he lived in a the store. Hope to get good ones soon so I can post them.

He's about 6-7cm long right now, co-habitating with a percula clown and LR.

He's taken a food cube into his cave and didn't come out for a day..guess he didn't have to. One hermit was snached up by him and also dragged in to his cave.

Sorry to be rambling on...just happy and lucky to have him:D

[micstarz]

Congratulations! I don't think they are particularly rare since quite a few people on here have them, but a nice find nevertheless.

I'd take the clown out. It might make the mantis less shy.

Congrats again!

P.S. I think orange meral spots make it sound like a G. glabrous.

[justinl]

does it also have intersegmental lines? if so, then yes G. ternatensis, if not, it's something else.

Shell rot is a concern for G. ternatensis. I wouldn't use halides. I have to second the suggestion to remove the fish (or the mantis). A 12g is not a stable enough system to house them both bioload wise.

[stardrop]

Just put a post up on our local fish forum seeking a home for the percula. What lighting would you recommend for a mantis.

He does have the red intersegmental lines. That's the other identifying trait I used to id him. Here are some bad pictures that I took when he was at the LFS.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k42/stardrop_2006/IMG_3368_1.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k42/stardrop_2006/IMG_3372_1.jpg

[micstarz]

Looks exactly like my G. glabrous. Intersegmental lines and all.

If it really G. glabrous, I'd also venture that it's male.

[stardrop]

Really? THe pictures of G. glabrous that I've been able to find are all pretty light colored animals. THen again..

[justinl]

not G. glabrous. you were right in the first place, male G. ternatensis.

[micstarz]

Then that means mine might be G. ternatensis too...but then Dr. Roy checked for me so that's why I'm sure mine is a G. glabrous.

[billysanborn]

good looking mantis stardrop, i love the blue

[lionbacker54]

welcome, new servant... er, i mean, owner... of bruce!

[justinl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14968056#post14968056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by micstarz
Then that means mine might be G. ternatensis too...but then Dr. Roy checked for me so that's why I'm sure mine is a G. glabrous.

Well they are the same genus and males of both sexes show the same distinguishing characteristics (that are listed under royslist). But my honest answer though is that it just doesn't say G. glabrous to me; I hear it whispering G. ternatensis. I know that makes me sound crazy but that's just how ID's work sometimes (not just for stomatopod taxonomy).

I wasn't aware that G. glabrous ever showed red intersegmental lines. Did you post a pic in an earlier thread? can you link to it, I'd like to see that. that or we can wait for the easy solution and wait for a post from Dr. Roy...

[micstarz]

Well he only has intersegmental lines and a darker color now, but before his molt, he had horizontal bars of dark brown/black and khaki (as in, in the same direction as the segment lines) but after the molt, the khaki turned into green and dark green, exactly like this guy. I do have a video of him, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKMoC4UEghw

[micstarz]

Oh, whoops. That's his colors before the molt.

[micstarz]

Oh, whoops. That's his colors before the molt. Here's one of the current coloration.

[micstarz]

Oh, whoops. That's his colors before the molt. Here's one of the current coloration.

[stardrop]

No picture attached micstarz

[Tangalong]

mcstarz...your fingers are stuttering:lol:

[micstarz]

Haha yeah...I don't think I can attach images...I'll upload them.

Here's him doing a meral spread (coloration before molt)
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205614390_565794390_1677608_4160896_n.jpg

After:

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205629390_565794390_1677610_359886_n.jpg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205634390_565794390_1677611_7552080_n.jpg
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205639390_565794390_1677612_1417441_n.jpg
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205644390_565794390_1677613_3664506_n.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/3249_81205649390_565794390_1677614_2531951_n.jpg

[stardrop]

Interesting....I'm definately going to have to get better shots of Bruce!

[micstarz]

Haha...my shots aren't exactly good either...and salt residue and the reflection from the window don't help either.

[Tangalong]

The one of the Meral spots is great !!! How funny that he built his burrow on top of the PVC pipe !!What type of crab is he going after? I love to look at your pics gang. Stardrop, your guy is really pretty. Some guy lent my husband a camera for me to use, but then we found out that there isn't any place on my computer to put a picture card. It takes a little disk. However, the printer (HP) will take one, but it is currently infected with Curly Virus. HA!!!:o

[micstarz]

Tangalong you're so observant :P and yes, I went to a lot of trouble to shape that live rock so that his PVC pipe would fit snugly into that slot...however, he decided to abandon the pipe and dig a new burrow with the sand beneath the LR...

Now I can't remove the PVC pipe or it will destroy his burrow.

I have no idea what crabs I'm feeding, not I mainly catch two types:

The more landloving ones that die when I put them in water for too long (the ones in the pics)

And ones with huge claws (like gorilla crabs) that are easier to keep alive until feeding time (I store them in a guppy breeder box hanging in the tank and feed them fish pellets)