Mantis ID and info

[docmal]

I was told to head over to this forum to see if I can get an id on this shrimp so here are the pics and a description.

He is about 1 inch long and about 1/4inch wide. Black with white dots along the sides. He has doubled in size in 4 months since I got him. He eats brine or mysis regularly. Lives high in the tank in a small network of tubes in a piece of live rock.

if these pictures arent good enough I can try to get a better one.

http://www.darknessdaoc.net/darky/mantis1.jpg

http://www.darknessdaoc.net/darky/mantis2.jpg

[pisces77]

A better pic would help. Is it a spearer or smasher?

[docmal]

How does one tell if it is a spearer or a smasher? I have heard popping in the tank but I always assumed it was my pistol shrimp/goby combo. I tried to get better pics but I dont have a clear enough container to get a side/front view of him.

[Neo-Fight]

popping probably means he is a smasher.
Here is a pretty good shot of a smasher:
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/isaari_hammers.htm


And here is one of a spearer... see the spears?
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/rhisso.htm