Evolution has provided the world with animals we could never create with our imaginations. Some creatures obtained interesting beaks, some webbed limbs, but I don’t know of many with characteristics quite like those of the mantis shrimp. Furthermore, going back in history, it’s interesting to see where the peacock mantis shrimp developed its features from. Of course, discovering the various animals today that share these unique qualities is even more engaging. Such adaptations as those of the mantis shrimp cannot simply be left unseen, therefore, it’s best to explore what may be one of the world’s most extraordinary organisms. First and foremost, the evolutionary history of the mantis shrimp is one that has bewildered the scientific community. What creatures could have possibly mutated to create such a distinct aquatic animal? Well, according to Caldwell, a well-known marine biologist and researcher, the mantis shrimp is a mix of over 450 different species (Caldwell)! For example, one animal the mantis shrimp looks very similar to is the lobster. The fossil record for the …show more content…
Some of the creatures included in this diagram are gonodactylidae, coronididae, sculdidae, and such. These are the names of other mantis shrimp. They are all under the category of unipeltata which is used to describe any creatures that burrow, are predatory and aquatic, are stalk eyed, etc. So any stomatopoda is under the classification of unipeltata. It’s easy to get confused with all the complex terms used to explain the phylogeny of organisms so below a diagram is provided so that one can more easily view all the other types of mantis shrimp that exist. The mantis shrimp are mainly differentiated by the appendage they use to strike at their enemy. Below the diagram, there is an image that will allow one to see the appendages and their similarities or