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Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Stomatopoda
Banded mantis shrimp
Lysiosquilla sp.
Family Lysiosquillidae
updated Mar 2020
Where seen? This mantis shrimp is rarely seen. A pair was seen dead on Tanah Merah a day after the oil spill. One was seen in Changi.

Features: 6-10cm long. Body broad and long, colour plain grey or beige with wide dark bars.

The huge front pincers resemble those of the Praying mantis insect or the blade of a pocket knife that folds into the handle. Armed with sharp spines, the pincers extend and retract much faster than an eye blink and the sharp spines impale soft, fast-moving prey like fish and prawns.

These shrimps are believed to live in monogamus pairs

Status and threats: Our mantis shrimps are not listed as endangered. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution.

Tanah Merah, May 10

Tanah Merah, May 10

Tanah Merah, May 10

Banded mantis shrimp (Lysiosquilla sp.)

Banded mantis shrimps on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Changi, May 09
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Changi, May 10


Pulau Tekukor, Jan 22
Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook.


Cyrene, Jul 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Pulau Semakau (South), Jan 22
Photo shared by Kelvin Yong on facebook.

Acknowledgements
With grateful thanks to Dr Tan Swee Hee of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research for obtaining the identification of this animal.

References
  • Debelius, Helmut, 2001. Crustacea Guide of the World: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.
  • Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawaii exclusive of the vertebrates Sea Challengers. 314pp.
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