Biggest Mantis Shrimp I have ever seen - Thailand

[Marriard]

This monster Spearing Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquillina maculata) was spotted on a shore dive at night off of Kata Beach in Phuket, Thailand. He was well over a foot long - he was every bit of the 18" my identification book says this species grows to.

Look at the weaponry this fellow possesses. Those are some impressive looking hooked spears.

I have no idea how aggressive this species is in particular as this was the first one I had ever seen, but in the face of those spears I was pretty cautious. I has the red filter on my focus light and this seemed to keep him fairly relaxed. I am still pretty nervous around Mantis Shrimp after one of the Smashing Mantis' tried to take out a flat port a few trips ago when I got a touch too close for his liking.

Enjoy,
M

 

[Gilligan]

Excellent shot and great encounter.

If the little ones can break your finger and the glass in an aquarium, this one can probably break your leg or take you camera from you

 

[Dee]

And I bet those hooks could rip a good chunk of meat, too.

Great shot...I don't think I've ssen one of these.

 

[Jamdiver]

Great shots, that mantis shrimp looks exceptionally scary...

 

[archman]

Anecdotal accounts of people fooling around with Lysiosquilla are not very, uh... positive. Members of this genus are supposed to be highly temperamental and aggressive. Those chelae can tear the flesh off your finger, faster than you can say, "what the *&(& ?!!"

I've never seen in situ photos of one before. Neato.

 

[MoonWrasse]

Interesting - all the ones I've seen in Thailand are smaller, around 9" to 12", and much more colorful.

I've never had a bad encounter with a mantis, however I've been very much warned by several knowledgable divers that a mantis can crack your camera case or your mask. They do so by shock wave.
So...be careful lest you want us to speculate why your corpse was found with a cracked mask lens yet 150 bar in your tank

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

That thing is so cool.

 

[Jcsgt]

He looks like one of my former supervisors!

 

[isurus]

There used to be a bit of film kicking round on the web of a Lysiosquillina sp. driving those spears straight through a passing fish. It put me off the spearers even more than the smashers.

 

[Jcsgt]

There used to be a bit of film kicking round on the web of a Lysiosquillina sp. driving those spears straight through a passing fish. It put me off the spearers even more than the smashers.

Dang, he even like my former supervisor!