Boxing Clever: The Peacock Mantis Shrimp
At first glance, the peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) looks like a piece of living reef art; a flash of iridescent greens, electric blues, and deep reds tucked into a coral burrow. But behind that dazzling exterior lurks one of the most sophisticated—and surprising—predators in the ocean.
This fist-sized stomatopod delivers one of the fastest strikes ever recorded in the animal kingdom, with punches so fast they generate shockwaves, flashes of light, and cavitation bubbles capable of killing prey on impact. Its eyes can detect polarized and circularly polarized light, enabling them to see colors we can’t even begin to imagine.
Add to this cocktail of oddities a lineage that predates dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years, a vividly communicative color palette and highly territorial, intelligent behavior, and it’s easy to see why the peacock mantis shrimp never fails to amaze when diving with Murex Resorts.
In this article, we answer some common questions related to this most complex and quizzical of creatures.
Where Do Peacock Mantis Shrimp Live?
Peacock mantis shrimp are widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Hawaii. In Indonesia, they can be found on shallow coral reefs, rubble slopes, and sandy substrates, where they excavate and maintain permanent burrows.
In North Sulawesi, and particularly around Bangka Island, Bunaken National Park and the Lembeh Strait, suitable habitats for peacock mantis shrimp are abundant. These areas combine coral rubble, sandy patches, and high biodiversity, making them ideal hunting grounds.
O. scyllarus is often active during daylight hours, which increases the chances of observing them outside their burrows. For patient divers and underwater photographers with a keen eye, diving in North Sulawesi can deliver incredible encounters with these photogenic critters.
Are Peacock Mantis Shrimp Intelligent?
Peacock mantis shrimp display behaviors that strongly suggest advanced cognitive abilities. They construct and maintain permanent burrows, show strong spatial awareness and can rapidly navigate their surroundings during hunting or territorial disputes. This indicates memory and environmental mapping rather than purely instinctive behaviour.
Recent studies have revealed some surprising insights into peacock mantis shrimp intelligence. They are capable of learning and recognition, including distinguishing between familiar neighbors and unfamiliar rivals; a phenomenon known as the “dear enemy” effect. They also engage in ritualized threat displays before escalating to physical combat, suggesting an ability to assess opponents and weigh risk rather than resorting to constant aggression.
Experimental research has further demonstrated associative learning, with peacock mantis shrimp able to link visual cues to food rewards and adapt when conditions change. Combined with their extraordinary visual system, this makes the peacock mantis shrimp not just a powerful predator, but an alert, perceptive and behaviorally complex animal — something many divers intuitively recognize when encountering them in the wild.
How Powerful Is the Peacock Mantis Shrimp’s Strike?
The peacock mantis shrimp is a “smasher”, one of two main functional types of mantis shrimp (the other being “spearers”). Smashers possess heavily calcified club-like appendages capable of delivering some of the fastest strikes recorded in the animal kingdom.
These appendages accelerate underwater at speeds of more than 20 meters per second, generating forces strong enough to break snail shells, crab carapaces, and even aquarium glass.
What makes this even more remarkable is the physics involved. The strike produces cavitation bubbles, which collapse with intense heat, light, and secondary shockwaves. In some cases, the cavitation impact alone is enough to stun or kill prey; meaning the mantis shrimp effectively hits its target twice.
How Good is Peacock Mantis Shrimp Vision?
The visual system of a mantis shrimp is legendary, yet often misunderstood. While it’s frequently claimed that mantis shrimp have “the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom,” the reality is more nuanced — and arguably more interesting.
Each eye contains up to 16 photoreceptor types (compared to just three in human eyes). However, rather than processing color through complex neural comparisons, mantis shrimp appear to use a rapid pattern-recognition system, allowing them to identify colors and polarized light almost instantaneously.
This visual setup is ideally suited to their lifestyle: fast, aggressive interactions in complex reef environments where split-second decisions determine survival. They can also detect circularly polarized light; a rare ability in the animal kingdom, which may be used for covert communication between individuals.
How Do Peacock Mantis Shrimp Behave in the Wild?
Peacock mantis shrimp are highly territorial and intelligent animals. They maintain and defend burrows, often reinforcing them with rubble and coral fragments, and will aggressively confront intruders of similar size.
They exhibit complex behaviors including ritualized combat, threat displays, and learned responses; traits that suggest a higher level of cognitive ability than is typically associated with crustaceans.
While solitary by nature, mating pairs may temporarily share a burrow, cooperating to defend territory and care for eggs. Females are known to meticulously tend to their clutches, aerating and cleaning the eggs until they hatch.
Are Peacock Mantis Shrimp Dangerous to Divers?
Despite their fearsome reputation, peacock mantis shrimp pose little risk to divers when treated with respect. Most injuries occur when individuals are handled, harassed, or cornered.
For underwater photographers and divers, the best approach is to observe without interference. Given space, mantis shrimp will usually continue natural behaviors, offering extraordinary opportunities to witness feeding, burrow maintenance, or threat displays.
As with all wildlife encounters, patience and respect are key; and the rewards are well worth it.
What Role Do Peacock Mantis Shrimp Play in Reef Ecosystems?
As apex micro-predators, peacock mantis shrimp play a critical role in regulating populations of mollusks and crustaceans, helping to maintain ecological balance on reefs.
Their burrowing activity also contributes to sediment turnover and habitat complexity, creating micro-habitats used by other small reef organisms.
Healthy mantis shrimp populations are often indicators of intact reef systems, with sufficient prey availability and minimal disturbance; this makes them valuable, if unconventional, markers of reef health.
What Can Divers Do to Help Protect Peacock Mantis Shrimp?
Protection of peacock mantis shrimp ultimately depends on reef conservation, including the preservation of coral habitats, reduction of coastal pollution, and responsible diving practices.
Divers can help by:
- Maintaining excellent buoyancy to avoid damaging burrows
- Avoiding harassment or handling
- Supporting marine protected areas (MPAs)
- Choosing dive operators committed to conservation and education
At Murex Resorts, responsible diving and marine stewardship are central to every experience. Our team of experienced dive guides ensure that guest encounters with extraordinary species like the peacock mantis shrimp are responsible, memorable, and sustainable for generations to come.
Diving With Murex Resorts
Are you ready to experience the wonders of North Sulawesi for yourself? Murex Resorts are your guide to the amazing diversity of dive sites on offer here, along with the incredible creatures they support.
From the reefs of Bangka to the rubble of Manado, and from wall dives in Bunaken to muck and macro in Lembeh, Murex introduces you to the best diving Indonesia has to offer. For a single, seamless trip that combines all these destinations into one, check out our Passport to Paradise program.
For more information, and to make a booking or check availability, please get in touch.
