The Reading Warehouse

Meet the Peacock Mantis Shrimp - it's also known as the Harlequin Mantis Shrimp, Painted Mantis Shrimp, and Clown Mantis Shrimp.

While it goes by a lot of names, the Peacock Mantis Shrimp is its most popular name because it can be likened to a colorful peacock (have you seen one of those?).

Of course, "harlequin," "painted," and "clown" also gives you an idea as to how colorful this type of shrimp is. It is more colorful than the regular shrimps that can be eaten.

While they do look somewhat like the shrimps that are served in restaurants, they also look like lobsters. They don't have claws like lobsters - but they have a pair of clubs called smashers, and their smashers make them the boxers of the sea.

While the Peacock Mantis Shrimp's "smasher" can be compared to a boxing glove, it's much tougher than that. In fact, not only can it hit objects in a very powerful way, it is also resistant to breakage. Even when the shrimp's smashers get cracked, they still won't break easily. Having a really strong smasher is like having a really large hammer for breaking things. This is also one of the reasons why this type of shrimp is known to be capable of breaking glass tanks when kept as pets.

Another interesting part of the Peacock Mantis Shrimp is its eyes. Their eyes look like two separate attachments on their heads - and they can move (and look) in different directions as well.

Excited to learn more about the Peacock Mantis Shrimp? Have a copy of this book and learn more fascinating trivia about this amazing animal.