Peacock Mantis Shrimp Essay

The Odontodactylus scyllarus, also know as “Peacock Mantis Shrimp” is known as one of the more vibrant mantis shrimps when it comes to outer appearance. This specie of mantis shrimp can fluctuate from three to eighteen centimeters. It is no doubt that these creatures are a beauty to see. Their whole body type in general resembles a lobster, their legs are brilliantly orange and they have spots that are leopard-like on the front of their carapace. Their body consists of bright red, green, orange and blue and right on the base of its head lies their two eyes. Their oversized eyes protrude from their body giving them an almost comical appeal. However beautiful and alluring these creatures might seem, they are not to be trifled with. EYEEESIGHTTT AYEEEEE

The peacock mantis shrimp lives in the crevices of coral and rocks on the ocean floor. They are sometimes found in 3-40 m deep water but more often found in depths of 10-30 m. They live in water with a temperature around 22-28°C. They are commonly found in u-shaped burrows. Their preferred habitats include marine or tropical saltwater within biomes of benthic reef.

Odontodactylus scyllarus have been found inside the stomach of yellow fish tuna but other than this they have no other known predators. Thus, the peacock mantis shrimp is to be considered a
But don't get me wrong, they do par-take in a number of tests in laboratories for vision and digital storage. Since these mantis shrimp leave burrows behind they create more habitats for other animals. So, therefore if these specie were to go extinct there would be a slight decrease in habitats for other animals in the ocean. Secondly, if they were to go extinct we would not have them to test the capacity of digital storage. But overall, the Odontodactylus scyllarus does not play a "unique and crucial role in our ecosystem functions" and for that reason they are not considered a keystone