Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Odontodactylus scyllarus

Sighting evidence at Mubarraz Reef, Abu Dhabi

The rubble zones between coral heads at Mubarraz harbour resident peacock mantis shrimp that maintain burrows and defend territories against all comers. They are armed with raptorial clubs capable of delivering a strike with the acceleration of a bullet, which they use to crack open the shells of bivalves, crabs, and snails. Their trinocular vision with 16 photoreceptor types — compared to humans' three — allows them to perceive polarised light and ultraviolet wavelengths invisible to the human eye.

Evidence at this site

0 records within 25 km

Confidence: low

No date on file

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Evidence at this site

Also seen at other sites