WONDERS OF THE QUEENSLAND REEF.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2576, 25 July 1922, Page 7

WONDERS OF THE QUEENSLAND REEF.

Sea life is seldom more varied or wonderful than among the labyrinths of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland. One of the most remarkable of marine fauna found in that region is the reef mantis. These crustaceans have a range extending throughout the warm waters of the Pacific, and being of necessity shy and secretive—for they have many enemies—are not often seen. As the familiar name implies the mantis shrimp has a feature in common with a popular insect— the praying mantis, flycatcher and vornnous feeders which nas been known to seize and “wolf” a small frog.

The mantis possesses peculiar claw appendages in which the last segment shuts down like the blade of a pocket knife. These claws form very efficient weapons, and it is to their position that the resemblance to the common praying mantis gives them the popular name applied to the insect. Mantis shrimps are generally found in shallow water, burrowing in the sand or hiding in the crevices in rocks and corals. They are described as lying in wait at the mouth of their burrows, darting out on fish and other animals which arc seized with their great claws, and as retreating with great rapidity to the bottom of the burrow with their prey. They have a long series of ilarval stages, and the larvae arc all distinguished by the large size of the carapace (the shield covering the back) which in some cases envelops the greater portion of the body. In the warm seas some larvae attain a relatively large size, sometimes exceeding two inches in length, and the glass-like transparency gives them a striking appearance. During the larval stages they swim at the surface and the influences of the ocean current thus account for their wide distribution.