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Pictured here is a close-up of the eye of a female mantis shrimp (Pseudosquillana richeri). Mantis shrimp, or stomatopods, are an ancient group of marine predators that are only distantly related to other more familiar crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimp and lobsters. Most occur in shallow tropical marine waters, but a few species are found in more temperate seas.
While they are called mantis shrimp, they are neither shrimp nor mantid (a species of insect), but received their name due to their resemblance to both praying mantis and shrimp. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colors, from shades of brown to bright neon colors.Image credit: Roy L. Caldwell, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
