The peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) is a very cool critter. These colorful shrimps have some of the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Each compound eye possesses trinocular vision that can detect different light waves. This tiny crustacean can also pack a punch by using their claws to attack with blinding speed – claws can shatter or hammer a shelled animal such as a clam or snail. There have been instances where captive mantis shrimp have struck out and shattered the glass of an aquarium. The acceleration of the mantis’s claws has been compared to the speed of a .22 caliber handgun – its prey does not have a chance. They live in the waters of the Indo-Pacific and average in 3 to 8 cm in body length.
These photos show a close-up of the eyes of the mantis shrimp and a female holding her eggs until they hatch.
