This is a spearing mantis shrimp, as opposed to the smashing kind. The hooked spear at the end of the four-link armature can move so fast it creates a vacuum in the water resulting in a distinct "doop" sound. This little guy had just escaped the fatal clutches of a long-arm mimic octopus by sprinting towards us divers. We were shooting a Flamboyant Cuttlefish at the time and almost, but not quite, got all three in frame. It had built up too much lactic acid to move and we were able to get very close for a shot. It was too big a prey for the Cuttlefish and the mimic swam off a tad annoyed.

6/20/05 3:28:49 PM
Country: Indonesia
Area/City: Lembeh