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Species: Gonodactylus smithii

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Click on any image to see an enlargement. All photos © 2005 Roy Caldwell.

Common name: Purple-Spotted Mantis

Functional type: Smasher

Range: New Caledonia to western Indian Ocean

Habitat: Reef flats, dead and live coral

Depth: Low intertidal to 60 m, but most common in low intertidal

Home: Cavity in coral rubble or live coral such as Porietes

Diet: Generalist; small crustaceans, gastropods

Size: 8–90 mm

Color: Green to dark green with red raptorial dactyls and yellow antennal scales; animals from below 10 m often have a maroon body color; meral spot maroon to purple with white ring

Distinguishing Characters: Purple meral spot; red knob at base of uropods

Activity: Diurnal; often forages away from cavity at low tide in very shallow water

Aquarium Requirements:

Temperature: 23–28° C

Salinity: 33–36 PSU

Cohabitants: Will eat small crustaceans and gastropods

Aquarium size (adult): 20 l

Aquarium substrate: Sand and gravel with cavity in LR or rubble

Suitability for Aquarium: Excellent; highly interactive, hardy. This is my favorite gonodactylid for an aquarium

Availability: Occasionally shipped from the Philippines and Indonesia

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External Anatomy and Explanatory Notes