Upon communicating with Dr. Caldwell prior to writing and after posting our
Mantis Shrimp: Pet or Pest article, he provided us with the following information on identifying species and outlines some of their characteristic traits.
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The large species you refer to in Hawaii is Lysiosquillina maculata. It can reach 40 cm in length, lives in monogamous pairs, and can reach an age of at least 20 years. I have followed one burrow at Coconut Island since 1985 when the animals were already about 25 cm long.
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The green animal you refer to is <i>Gonodactylaeus mutatus</i> (used to be Gonodactylus aloha). Males are green, females brown to brownish orange or checkered tan and green. This species was introduced onto Oahu after WWII and is rapidly spreading throughout Hawaii.
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Another common species is the spearer Pseudosquilla
ciliata. It burrows in shallow water and can gradually change color to match the background. It comes in green, sandy colored, black, brown, yellow, and just about any combination thereof - often with a light colored stripe down its back.
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Stomatopods can indeed break glass. I have had animals break out of a variety of glass aquaria and keep big animals in Plexiglas. They also can cause physical damage. I was contacted by a surgeon from South Africa who tried to grab a large O. scyllarus and ended up losing a finger that was mangled, became infected, and had to be amputated. I have personally had more than my share of blood-lettings
from animals as small as 3 cm.
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If you ever have a smasher in your tank who decides to chip out the entrance to its cavity, you will quickly understand how much sound they can make.
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Odontodactylus scyllarus is a fascinating species, large (up to 18 cm), flashy, and does lots of great behavior, but it builds using coral rubble and will rearrange any tank. It also is capable of killing most fish. I once had a wholesaler call and offer me a couple of O. scyllarus after they killed six Clown Triggers in one night. This species is also prone to a cuticular disease that eventually kills them. Still, this is the species most often for sale.
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The smaller Hawaiian species O. brevirostris is much better in an aquarium. It gets to only 6 cm, but is very active during the day, rarely kills fish, and while it digs and builds, it can't move large coral blocks. It is my choice.
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Gonodactylus smithii and Gonodactylus platysoma are both good aquarium species. They are not particularly aggressive, live in cavities, and tolerate fish. However, any of the above
species are death on snails and hermits, so if you use these organisms
to clean the tank, they will become food.
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I have also kept Echinosquilla guerini in tanks. They rarely leave their cavities and are crepuscular, but they have great eyes and the sea urchin mimicking telson is interesting. I have had one animal for five years.
