Can a mantis shrimp go blind?

[Newfishgirl]

Over the past few weeks I noticed my peacock mantis isn't seeing too well. She walks around the tank with her head down and she is out of her hole pretty much all day now.
She will literally put her face right into the sand and I can put a piece of shrimp in front of her and she won't even notice it.
It's gotten to the point where I can touch her and she doesn't even see me. Which I've hand fed her since I have even put something right in front of her to strike and nothing. Some days I will put a piece of food in her pvc pipe just so she can find her way back. I've had her since summer and she is huge 6" plus.
Is it possible for a mantis to go blind, or is it her time?


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[EI Gringo]

My giant zebra did this, he would fly about the tank aimlessly bumping into things and couldn't see anything. He would grab everything and couldn't seem to control his appendages, slowly he died after a couple of weeks.

[nmotz]

Over the past few weeks I noticed my peacock mantis isn't seeing too well. She walks around the tank with her head down and she is out of her hole pretty much all day now.
She will literally put her face right into the sand and I can put a piece of shrimp in front of her and she won't even notice it.
It's gotten to the point where I can touch her and she doesn't even see me. Which I've hand fed her since I have even put something right in front of her to strike and nothing. Some days I will put a piece of food in her pvc pipe just so she can find her way back. I've had her since summer and she is huge 6" plus.
Is it possible for a mantis to go blind, or is it her time?


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Yeah it sounds like your Peacock might just be getting old. I know that cuttlefish eventually go blind before they die. Not sure how common this is in Peacocks, but I would imagine she's just getting old.

[Newfishgirl]

Thanks guys. It makes me sad knowing it's almost time but I knew she had to be up there when I bought her since she was so big. I'll just make sure her the rest of her time she's spoiled.


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[nmotz]

Yeah that's one of the saddest things about getting Peacocks in this hobby. They're almost always so old that they won't live much longer in the home aquarium. Every now and then you can find a smaller one but the usual size is 5-6" at purchase. Molting difficulties and other issues are common in animals that size.

[Newfishgirl]

If been super fortunate with this one...Athena is what we named her for being a beautiful warrior. She has molted 3 times with no issues and I hand feed her and she lets me touch her. Mantis shrimp and seriously the coolest animal in this hobby!


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[Gonodactylus]

Stomatopods can regenerate most of their appendages except for the eye stalks so if anything happens to their eyes vision will not be restored. It is common to find animals in the field missing one eye and they can get along quite well with just one. Physical damage to the eyes often clears the way for a fungal infection to spread and blind the animal, but I occasionally see an Odontodactylus lose sight with no apparent external problem. I haven't a clue what goes wrong.

Roy

[Newfishgirl]

Stomatopods can regenerate most of their appendages except for the eye stalks so if anything happens to their eyes vision will not be restored. It is common to find animals in the field missing one eye and they can get along quite well with just one. Physical damage to the eyes often clears the way for a fungal infection to spread and blind the animal, but I occasionally see an Odontodactylus lose sight with no apparent external problem. I haven't a clue what goes wrong.



Roy



Thank you Roy.


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