Stomatopod Images

This stomatopod smasher lives in cavities on the lateral and upper surfaces of wheel corals. The species is interesting because it exemplifies one of the more fascinating behavioral patterns in stomatopods --- that of agonistic behavior between individuals as they compete for the scarce number of available cavities in rock and coral. One of the ritualized behaviors exhibited by competing individuals is the meral spread, in which the animals display a colored spot on their raptorial appendages called the meral spot. This marking is usually very brightly colored in smashers, and its display frequently serves to inhibit actual combat between two competitors. G. smithii is notable because it has one of the most conspicuous meral spots among the stomatopods, and it also has a strong tendency to respond to all potential competitors by constantly engaging in the meral spread. This may allow it to bluff its way past competitor species that are actually larger and more aggressive (Reference: Caldwell and Dingle, Scient Am 234, 80-89).