Gallery: Magnificent Mantis Shrimp

By

Mantis Shrimp

A mantis shrimp

(Image credit: Jenny/Wikimedia Commons)

The colorful mantis shrimp Gonodactylus smithii. Researchers compare mantis shrimp to "heavily armored caterpillars."

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

The peacock mantis shrimp

(Image credit: S. Baron)

The peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus from the Indo-Pacific boasts strong, hammer-like claws.

Peacock Mantis

Peacock mantis shrimp on the seafloor.

(Image credit: Chris K Horne, Shutterstock)

Peacock mantis shrimp are solitary hunters, capable of swinging their claws with a force equal to a .22 caliber bullet.

Mantis Shrimp with Eggs

A peacock mantis shrimp with eggs.

(Image credit: scubaluna, Shutterstock)

A mantis shrimp guards a raft of pink eggs.

Green Shrimp

Peacock mantis shrimp

(Image credit: Dray van Beeck, Shutterstock)

Peacock mantis shrimp are known for their complex visual system.

Territorial Crustacean

Peacock mantis shrimp on the seafloor.

(Image credit: Stubblefield Photography, Shutterstock)

Peacock mantis shrimp are highly territorial.

Armored Crustacean

Peacock mantis shrimp on the seafloor.

(Image credit: Olgysha, Shutterstock)

A view of the colorful peacock mantis shrimp body.

Smashing Close-Up

A close-up of a peacock mantis shrimp.

(Image credit: Teguh Tirtaputra, Shutterstock)

Peacock mantis shrimp are not shrimp, but their shrimp-like appearance (and tendency to attack like a praying mantis) gave them their name.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science. She covers the world of human and animal behavior, as well as paleontology and other science topics. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has ducked under a glacier in Switzerland and poked hot lava with a stick in Hawaii. Stephanie hails from East Tennessee, the global center for salamander diversity. Follow Stephanie on Google+.