a couple of mantis ID's

[surfnvb7]

took a couple of pics for a fellow reefer. trying to ID these 2 mantis. not sure what they are.

1) supposedly from pacific origin, but not totally positive on that. pretty sure the merel spots are completely white, but couldnt get a good shot.
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis1a.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis1b.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis1c.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis1d.jpg

2) this mantis was a hitch hiker on some live rock from the carribean. also looks to have white merel spots.
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis2a.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis2b.jpg

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ayoung/Pictures/Aquariums/mantis%20shrimp/mantis2c.jpg

thanks for the help! :)

[surfnvb7]

and #3, no idea of the origin, and never got a clean look at the merel spot.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/twon8/Corals/mantis.jpg

[twon8]

what's the merel spot?

[twon8]

here is another pic of the mantis swimming:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/twon8/Corals/mantis2.jpg

[penguinsix]

#2 is a Neogonodactylus wennerae

[surfnvb7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7706403#post7706403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by penguinsix
#2 is a Neogonodactylus wennerae

yeah, i figure #1 and #2 are both wennerae b/c of the large white merel spots. even though #1 supposedly came from a dealer in california and labelled as pacific origin.

but wasnt totally sure b/c the rest of the body colors are so different.

[Timmy]

#1 is a Gonodactylus chiragra female.

[surfnvb7]

how can you tell?

[Timmy]

With the telson and the pink uropods and i have one G. chiragra with the same coloration.

[surfnvb7]

very interesting, thanks for your help.

so i imagine these chiragra's get pretty big?

also, in the 3rd pic from the top that shows the tail. you can see some circular discolorations in the shell on both sides. is this shell disease? or another kind of marking?


anyone have any idea about #3? it was labelled as a "rainbow mantis"

[travisurfer]

you just cant trust common names. i was told the mantis i have on hold was a peacock mantis, but is a gonodactylaecus sp.

[Crawling68]

Number 3 is a male G. Chiragra.

[Thurge]

Number 2 I think is a Neogonodactylus bredini, over the N. wennera. The pictuers of the bredini on Dr. roy's list show some speckaling, ad the pictuers of #2 looks to have some light speckeling.

[AIMFish]

Male and female, get 'em both and be a breeder Al ;)

[surfnvb7]

too bad they are some of the species that gets the biggest in the hobby :-( way too big for a 7g minibow or 12g nanocube