Reproductive System
During mating rituals, mantis shrimp actively fluoresce, and the wavelength of this fluorescence was shown to match the wavelengths detected by their eye pigments . Females are only fertile during certain phases of the tidal cycle; the ability to perceive the phase of the moon may therefore help prevent wasted mating efforts. It may also give mantis shrimp information about the size of the tide, which is important for species living in shallow water near the shore.
females carry eggs on their underside similar to other arthropods, this feature shown below is one of the few features that distinguishes males from females.
The male parts of a mantis have been described as two sticks in a "V" shape right behind the last set of walking legs, or right in front of the first swimmate (swimmy kicky shrimpy thing, you know what it is).
Obviously if a mantis does not have these features (they're pretty obvious on any mantis), it is female OR it is too young to properly sex. For Peacock mantis, you should be able to determine the sex after the mantis reaches 2+ inches long. For other, smaller species, you should be able to sex them after 1/2 to 3/4" in length. It's quite uncommon to find mantis this small, so most are safe in saying that if they do not see the uropods twig things in the V shape under a mantis, it is female. If you see the underbelly of a female mantis, she will have two spots in place of male parts.
They then come together, the male transfers the sperm to the female where she can either retain the fertilized eggs, or lay them immediately in her burrow or crevice, or they can keep them on their forelimbs.
Mantis Shrimp mate for life and can have relationships that last upward of 20 years.
The male parts of a mantis have been described as two sticks in a "V" shape right behind the last set of walking legs, or right in front of the first swimmate (swimmy kicky shrimpy thing, you know what it is).
Obviously if a mantis does not have these features (they're pretty obvious on any mantis), it is female OR it is too young to properly sex. For Peacock mantis, you should be able to determine the sex after the mantis reaches 2+ inches long. For other, smaller species, you should be able to sex them after 1/2 to 3/4" in length. It's quite uncommon to find mantis this small, so most are safe in saying that if they do not see the uropods twig things in the V shape under a mantis, it is female. If you see the underbelly of a female mantis, she will have two spots in place of male parts.
They then come together, the male transfers the sperm to the female where she can either retain the fertilized eggs, or lay them immediately in her burrow or crevice, or they can keep them on their forelimbs.
Mantis Shrimp mate for life and can have relationships that last upward of 20 years.