Notes:Poecil{{{ostomatoida)
Adult mantis shrimps may exceed 15 cm in length. They are voraceous predators that burrow in the bottom and emerge to kill fishes and other prey using their formidable claws that resemble those of the terestrial preying mantis.

The claws are well developed in this late larval stage, and may indicate that the larvae are active predators. Unfortunately, almost nothing is known of the biology of these planktonic larval stages. The earlier larval stages are rather different. Click here to see one.

The most common inshore mantis shrimp is Squilla empusa, and that is the likely identification of this larva. However, but many more species occur just off shore whose larvae have not been described.

Mantis shrimp are in the crustacean group Stomatopoda. The behavior of the adults is quite complex and actively studied.

lCollected by: Dr. Julie Ambler, Millersville University, Millersville, PAAville University, PA

Photographed by: Bill Johnson, Goucher College.