Can a Mantis really break glass?

I agree that it is some type of squilla. Not sure which though.

Here's a mantis reference website maintained by probably the foremost expert on Stomapods, Dr. Roy Caldwell

Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium

If you want a positive ID, post your pic over on the mantis forum over on ReefCentral. Chances are the good Doc himself will chime in and give you it's identification.

BTW, peacocks (O. scyllarus) are not the only mantis' to potentially break aquariums. G. glabrous, G. graphurus and G. chiragra are all apt to do so as well. Most mantis (incl. peacocks) will not intentionally break your tank. Most of the time it's as a result of your aquascaping (LR or PVC against the glass) or b/c someone is taunting them.

Also, although the article (good one too!) suggests that mantis can be housed together, it is not recommended - Mantis in the wild are territorial, they come together for mating and will stay together for a short period after that afterwhich they will fight and one will likely end up dead.

I currently have 2 mantis shrimp; a N. wennerae and a G. smithii. They are both the most common mantis that you will find as hitchhikers and thusly more likely to be found on the market.

Here's my guys:

wennerae

smithii


Curt - Cuddles is a good lookin' mantis!

 

Yankee..I wanna see your mantids sometime soon

Beautiful color on both of them. What do you feed other than snails...and what type ?

 

I put a dozen or so snails in their tanks every couple of weeks. Usually they're astreas or margaritas.

They are also fed fresh frozen shrimp and frozen krill. Both of these items are typically soaked in selcon before feeding.

The wennerae currently lives with a yellow tailed damsel. This was supposed to be a meal for him (he'd taken one down previously) - The fish has been in there several months now - I guess the wenn has lost it's taste for fish.

The smithii lives alone and molted a week or so back so it's in hiding right now. Probably another week or so before it makes it's next appearance.