another ID please

[n00b2SWF]

It's a spearer, assuming either L. glabriuscula or L. maculata. but neither has same telson. perhaps it's something other than those? if anyone knows its ID, let me know please. thanks! :D

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/121507DSC02203_level.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/121507DSC02204_level.jpg

[psychodave]

squilla empusa?

[Timmy]

Yes it is a Squilla empusa.
Beautiful animal. I still searching for one.

Can you tell us more about the tank for the animal?

[Gonodactylus]

This is definitely not Squilla empusa. There are 16 species of Squilla in the Western Atlantic. There are half a dozen off Florida where this animal was probably taken (just a guess given the species). This species lives more commonly in sand and shell than in mud and occurs from the low intertidal down to about 70 m. Maximum size reported is 12.5 cm is for a female. Males are slightly smaller. The species is found from Little Bahama Bank, Florida, to Mexico andColumbia and most points in between.

Nice animal!

Roy

[dantodd]

Am I missing something? Which Squilla is it? Or is there inadequate info to differentiate? Is the geographic/size info applicable to all Squilla?

[n00b2SWF]

Thank you all for reply. :)
It's not squilla empusa? But is it ok to set him(Snatchy) up a same tank environment as for squilla empusa? or is it different than squilla empusa? Right now he's in 12 gallon tank (crushed coral bed, some live rocks, 76~80 degree in temperature), seems too little for this 5" mantis but he is doing pretty well so far. He is swimming, digging, and hitting (stabbing) my hermit crab (Dumbo) when Dumbo gets close to him. It's pretty cool and fun to watch. :D and also i have a Gonodactylaceus falcatus (Wimpy) in same tank. When Snatchy first added to the tank, Wimpy showed some curiousity but now he is hiding in his burrow and never comes out. :( anyway sooner or later i will definitely get Snatchy a bigger tank and set him up a new environment just suitable for him but I just need to know some more informations about Snatchy's species.

by the way, sorry about the cheezy names. I just named them as how they act. ;)

oh and i have another question...
how do you guys feed your mantis shrimps? is there any good sinking carnivore food? I bought 5 little hermit crabs for Wimpy's dinner but Wimpy doesn't eat those. Wimpy is too nice to eat live ones. :p And is it ok to feed feeder gold fishes to Snatchy?

[mickey85]

You can feed frozen food to both. I feed my platysoma on a steady diet of hermits ($10 for a dozen that lasts a month - can't beat that!), but have fed him shrimp before as well, which he doesn't seem to mind.

[Gonodactylus]

Sorry, I was having a bad morning (a Trojan wiped out my entire In box) and I forgot to say that this is Squilla rugosa.

As I said, this is a species that burrows in a sandy, shelly substrate, not mud, but it is unlikely that you will be able to create a substrate with enough texture to allow it to burrow. Be sure that it has a pvc burrow twice its body length. These animals don't do well exposed to the light.

Roy

[n00b2SWF]

Thanks Mickey and Roy!!:D