Peacock Mantis Shrimp care guide
Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) — minimum tank 200 L, temperature 24-26 °C, pH 8.1-8.4.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) is a mantis shrimp (stomatopod) of the family Odontodactylidae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as an advanced-level species. DANGEROUS! Stunning rainbow-colored stomatopod with hammer claws capable of breaking aquarium glass and slicing fingers. Strict species-only tank. The famous 'Smasher' with the world's most powerful punch (per body weight).
Taxonomy
- Family: Odontodactylidae
- Genus: Odontodactylus
- Scientific name: Odontodactylus scyllarus
- Common synonyms: Peacock Mantis, Smasher Mantis
Habitat
Mantis shrimp are stomatopod crustaceans, not true shrimp, found in burrows and reef crevices of tropical and subtropical seas. They possess specialised raptorial appendages: "spearers" impale soft prey, while "smashers" deliver one of the fastest strikes in the animal kingdom, capable of cracking shells and aquarium glass. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Indo-Pacific.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L (52.8 US gal)
- Adult size: 10-18 cm
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- KH: 8-12 °dKH
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Lifespan: 4-6 years
Diet
The species is a carnivore. Spearing forms ambush soft prey such as fish and worms, while smashing forms crush snails, crabs and bivalves; in aquaria they take meaty frozen foods, shrimp and shelled molluscs.
Compatibility
The Aquairi knowledge base lists this species as a predator. Suitable tank mates include Solo only. It should be kept away from All fish, All inverts, Glass (acrylic recommended). It is a destructive predator that hunts fish and other invertebrates and is kept only in a dedicated species tank, never in a community reef.
Breeding
The female carries fertilised eggs (becoming "berried") beneath the abdomen until they hatch into planktonic larvae that drift before settling. Rearing the larvae through their pelagic stages is rated very difficult and is rarely achieved in home aquaria.
Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus): Breeding Notes
Overview
Odontodactylus scyllarus is a smasher-type stomatopod of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Marianas and East Africa south to KwaZulu-Natal. It reaches 3–18 cm and digs U-shaped burrows in loose substrate near reef bases at depths of 3–40 m. It is a solitary, agile predator that delivers blunt-force strikes to gastropods, crustaceans and bivalves.
Sexing
Reliable external sexing of O. scyllarus is not documented in the sources reviewed. In stomatopods generally, mating and egg care occur within the burrow, so sex is rarely confirmed outside breeding observations.
Spawning & Eggs/Larvae
In stomatopods, eggs are either laid and kept in the burrow or carried under the female's tail until they hatch. After hatching the offspring may spend up to three months as plankton before settling to a benthic life. Mantis shrimp are long-lived and can have 20–30 breeding episodes over a lifetime.
Common Challenges
The long planktonic larval phase, solitary and aggressive nature, and need for an individual burrow make captive reproduction impractical for hobbyists. These animals are kept, if at all, only in dedicated species-only systems.