Amphipod?

[wamy2004]

I posted on a FB groups and some said it was a baby mantis? I have about a dozen that I can see on my back wall in my 18gal coral qt. Looking to properly ID.

 

[Nano_Man]

Gammarus lacustris

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I posted on a FB groups and some said it was a baby mantis? I have about a dozen that I can see on my back wall in my 18gal coral qt. Looking to properly ID.

Not a baby mantis shrimp (Stomatopod) - the eyes, claws, tail, and a number of other factors are wrong for that.

This is a Tanaid of some variety, as confirmed primarily by the claws and tail:

This is a Tanaid - they look remarkably similar to Anthuroidean isopods, Ingolfiellidean amphipods, and amphipods from the taxonomic parvorder Corophiidira.

You can tell this is a Tanaid because of two main features:

-The claws (called gnathopods for all of these critters); only Tanaids have the "crab-claw" style gnathopods (i.e. where it has a pincer with two claws instead of a just a hook with one).

-The tail; Tanaid tails are not split, and they are heavily segmented with smaller segments than the rest of the body.

It should be harmless.

Tanaids are generally scavengers, eating detritus/herbivores, though a few eat worms and copepods;

 

[shcrimps]

if you wanna ship some within the states i’ll take some lolol