Stomatopod Images

The Peacock Mantis Shrimp lives in sandy and rubble bottoms at depths of 2 to 70 meters throughout the Indo-Pacific region. They are one of the main staples of the marine life trade, because of their beautifully varied colors. These smashers grow up to 15-17 cm. According to Caldwell and Dingle (Scient Am 234, 80-89), the power of its blow is so impressive that it can break open the shell of very large snails such as the fighting conch.