Down at the South Jetty at Galveston we were using live shrimp when we caught something weird and strange looking. It was white,transparent like a shrimp with a tail that looked like a crawdad. It engulfed the shrimp we had on as bait. It was a mean looking little creature.

any pics

Possible a Sea Lice. Don't know the real name but hte first time I saw one was fishing down in South Texas, a local man showed me one and told me it was the best bait for drum.

No didnt take any pics didnt even think about it at the time.

Mantis Shrimp




-Z-

Yep

I looked up a picture of a Mantis Shrimp on the internet. That is exactly what we caught. Never had seen one before. Thanks guys, I knew someone on here would know.

That's what I was thinking.....

A mantis shrimp is a sea lice. There was a big argument related to this topic a while back. Guy had a pic and asked what it was. Some people swore sea lice (me included) others swore that it was a mantis shrimp. Finaly, it dawned on us that both groups where right and the call name depends on who is talking or what area of Tx that you are in. Kinda like calling a softdrink a coke, sodawater, cola, sodapop, or whatever. Understand? However, I think that we did establish that mantis shrimp was probably the official name though sea lice means the same thing. Down here in CC I have never heard any other name but sea lice.

What amazes me is that you caught one using a piece of live shrimp. I had no idea they were predators. Guess thats why they are called "mantis" shrimp huh. Though Im not much into natural baits or the drum fishing thing (though I do enjoy doing this on rare occasions), they are supposed to be very good for drum. By looking at that meaty tail, it seems theyd be good on the table too.

Your right looptyloop. I googled the mantis shrimp. That is what the locals called Sea Lice. Just a different name for the umm fish? shrimp, creature... I mean we call Gadwall, a grey duck. Same species just different people growing up in different parts of of the country. That thing does look pretty tasty. Anyone every ate one? Figured you could boil it up in a spicy pot and eat that fat tail. Kinda like a crawfish.

Dont know about eating a Mantis Shrimp but keep your fingers away from it's pinchers. They aren't called Thumb Spliters for nothing.

They can shoot that hammer claw out at alarming speed.. it's used to stun/ kill their prey. If they get you it will sho nuf bring the pain.

Bazz

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Mantis_Shrimp_Tony.jpg
No kidding I never enev notice that they had this. I have been handling these things worry free for years. Now I have to think about a big point thing fly into my hand.... Thanks for ruining my ignorant bliss BAZZ!!!!

Folks in the saltwater aquarium world keep these ( i had one for awhile) they can do alot of damage you have to keep them in a tank with thicker glass because if they think food is on the other side they will hit it with their hammer claw and flood your home. they are said to be the fastest moving animal.

need to call it a sea hammer!!!

Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans belonging to the order Stomatopoda, one part of the class Malacostraca, the largest class of crustaceans. They are neither shrimp nor mantids, but receive their name purely from the physical resemblance to both the terrestrial praying mantis and the shrimp. They may reach 30 cm (12 in) in length, although exceptional cases of up to 38 cm have been recorded [2]. The carapace of mantis shrimp covers only the rear part of the head and the first three segments of the thorax. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colours, from shades of browns to bright neon colours.

Called "sea grasshoppers" by ancient Assyrians, "prawn killers" in Australia and now sometimes referred to as "thumb splitters" by modern divers � because of the relative ease the creature has in mutilating small appendages � mantis shrimp sport powerful claws that they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning or dismemberment. Mantis shrimp can break through aquarium glass with a single strike from this weapon