The "antizoea" stage in mantis shrimp (stomatopod) development lacks the characteristic mantis-like claws seen in all later stages. I have found this stage frequently in the nearshore waters off of Chincoteague, VA.

The antizoea is only reported from the family Lyssiosquillidae, which does not contain our most common inshore species Squilla empusa. So this specimen may be from one of a number of other stomatopods whose larval stages are yet undescribed.

Collected and photographed by Bill Johnson, Goucher College, Towson, MD