Toasty Thursday: Eating a Fascinating Creature Made Me Feel Bad

This afternoon, I decided to take my routine walk, heading straight to the market. There, I discovered mantis shrimp for sale. I bought some, cooked them for dinner, and then decided to write about the experience afterward.

(My Sautéed Mantis Shrimp, in Garlic and Chili Sauce)

Despite its name, the mantis shrimp is not a true shrimp, nor is it related to the praying mantis. It is a marine crustacean that belongs to the order Stomatopoda. This creature is renowned for its vibrant colors and extraordinary predatory abilities.

Image source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mantis-shrimps-hammers-limbs-study-sea-crustaceans-university-california-a8162511.html

The mantis shrimp is a unique creature, with over 400 species found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. These creatures are known for their striking appearance, which includes a vibrant array of colors. Their carapace, or shell, can exhibit shades of green, red, blue, and other stunning hues, making them a sight to behold in their natural habitat.

Image source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2182882-mantis-shrimps-punch-with-the-force-of-a-bullet-and-now-we-know-how/

One of the most intriguing aspects of the mantis shrimp is its remarkable hunting prowess. These creatures possess specialized appendages that they use to strike their prey with incredible speed and force. In fact, the mantis shrimp has one of the fastest and most powerful strikes in the animal kingdom, capable of breaking through the hard shells of crabs and mollusks with ease. The strike of a mantis shrimp's appendages is incredibly fast and powerful. It can accelerate as quickly as a bullet from a gun and strike with the force of a small caliber bullet. This speed is so rapid that it can cause cavitation bubbles in the water, which collapse and produce a secondary shockwave capable of stunning or killing prey.

Image source: https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/animals/mantis-shrimp

Mantis shrimp have one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom. They possess up to 16 types of photoreceptor cells (compared to humans who have three: red, green, and blue), which allows them to see a broad spectrum of colors, including ultraviolet light. This complex vision aids them in detecting prey and predators, and possibly in communication.

Mantis shrimp are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters. They tend to live in burrows on the seafloor, which they excavate and use as both homes and ambush points. They are solitary and highly territorial, often engaging in aggressive behavior to defend their territory.

Mantis shrimp can live for more than 20 years. They exhibit complex mating behaviors, and some species are known to form monogamous pairs, sharing and defending a burrow together. Females often lay eggs, which they may guard until they hatch.

Reading about their fascinating nature, impressive abilities, and captivating appearance made me feel a bit guilty about eating the mantis shrimp.
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