Lobster @ Komodo, Indonesia by Travel Tips and Stories

In the waters around Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, you won’t find traditional lobsters, but you will find the spectacular mantis shrimp. The best-known species in this area is the rainbow-coloured Peacock Mantis Shrimp.
Characteristics of the Mantis Shrimp
Appearance: Very strikingly coloured with bright hues such as peacock blue, orange and poison green. They grow to a length of around 10 to 18 cm.
The Lightning Strike: These crustaceans are regarded as the ‘boxers’ or ‘gladiators’ of the sea. Their front limbs shoot forward at speeds of up to 80 km/h (comparable to a bullet). This strike is powerful enough to break the shells of crabs or even shatter glass.
Extraordinary Vision: They have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. They can move independently of one another and see colours invisible to humans, including ultraviolet light.
Behaviour and Habitat: They live largely solitary lives and spend much of their time in burrows and crevices on the seabed.
Two Variants: There are ‘smasher’ crustaceans (which use clubs to crack hard prey such as snails) and ‘spearer’ variants (which have sharp claws to spear fish).
Location in Komodo: Whilst diving or snorkelling, you will often find them on sandy slopes and amongst coral rubble, such as at dive sites in the north of the park.