The Orange Spearer Mantis Shrimp lies in wait for its next meal in the dark sands of Lembeh. This great image was captured by our guest, Tasha. Can you spot his little Shrimp friend?
The Orange Spearer or Golden Mantis’ scientific name is Lysiosquillidae.mapia. These Mantis Shrimp can grow up to 38 centimeters in length. The Orange Spearer lives in a burrow in the sand where it spends most of its life. While they will occasionally go out and hunt prey, they usually prefer to sit at the entrance of the burrow waiting for unsuspecting prey to come along. When their favorite meal swims by they capture it by surprise. The Orange Spearer Mantis Shrimp use their powerful claws to spear or stun their prey. Their claws pack a punch of over 50 miles per hour with a force of over 300 pounds!
We had a small New Year gathering this year in Lembeh but it was a good one! A lovely dinner prepared by our fabulous kitchen staff followed by drinks and music in the cafe. A traditional Two Fish style, we set off our own fireworks on the beach and that was followed by an amazing display of fireworks from across the strait in Bitung. It was a great night for all of us!
It is quite common to spot one of these guys on day dives and night dives, you just have to look very closely. They can sometimes be difficult to find in the rubble of Lembeh’s dark sands.
Along with the Orange Spearer Mantis Shrimp, this week in Lembeh, our guests have been spotting all sorts such as the Peacock Mantis Shrimp, lots of Juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips, Cirrate phyllodesmium, Broadclub Cuttlefish, Bobtail Squid and so much more! The highlight though was another sighting of the Weedy Rhinopias and Flamboyant Cuttlefish eggs hatching!
VIP guest, Nicole helped us bring in the new year this week along with our other guests who were from Germany, Canada, China and the UK.
Happy Bubbles!
