Cool Creatures

Mantis shrimp are marine crustaceans. They may reach 12 inches. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colors, from shades of browns to bright neon colors.

Spearers are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips, used to stab and snag prey.
Smashers have a more developed club and a rudimentary spear. The club is used to smash their meals apart.

Both types strike by rapidly unfolding and swinging their claws at the prey, and are capable of inflicting serious damage. These two weapons are employed with blinding quickness, so fast that the acceleration is close to that of a .22 caliber bullet.

They can be a pest in the aquarium, often arriving in live rock and then feeding on fish as they get larger. There are reported incidents of mantis shrimp breaking the glass of an aquarium, but if true, it is very rare. Some people like to keep mantis shrimp since there are some very beautiful species.

This page will be spotlight some of the cool & unusual creatures that you may see in our store
Tarantulas Tarantulas are not usually dangerous or even aggressive. These large, hairy, and frequently beautiful animals are gaining popularity easy to care for pets. Tarantulas are arachnids. Some hunt in the trees and others on or near the ground. All tarantulas can produce silk and tree species often live in a 'tube tent' made of silk. Ground tarantulas will use silk to line their burrows to strengthen the walls and make it easier to climb in and out. Tarantulas mainly eat insects, but large species may eat lizards, mice and birds. Most are harmless to people. They all produce venom, but very few have venom that is harmful to humans. The Stripe-Knee, Redleg and Rosehairs are some of the tarantulas commonly kept as pets.
Mantis Shrimp Mantis shrimp are marine crustaceans. They may reach 12 inches. Mantis shrimp appear in a variety of colors, from shades of browns to bright neon colors. Mantis shrimp are the ultimate predators. There are two types: Spearers are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips, used to stab and snag prey. Smashers have a more developed club and a rudimentary spear. The club is used to smash their meals apart. Both types strike by rapidly unfolding and swinging their claws at the prey, and are capable of inflicting serious damage. These two weapons are employed with blinding quickness, so fast that the acceleration is close to that of a .22 caliber bullet. They can be a pest in the aquarium, often arriving in live rock and then feeding on fish as they get larger. There are reported incidents of mantis shrimp breaking the glass of an aquarium, but if true, it is very rare. Some people like to keep mantis shrimp since there are some very beautiful species.
	Saber Toothed Tetra Hydrolycus Scomberoides also known as the Paraya or Payara. Known in Spanish simply as "Denton" (the great toothed). This rare species is a true living fossil. One look at its large fangs and pre-historic features is enough to invoke images of huge predatory fish that lived in the primordial lakes and oceans. A active predatory directly from the lower river basins in Brazil and Guiana. Much like piranhas, they seem to like to school in groups, while at the same time retain a somewhat aggressive territoriality. It appears to be a harmless little fish .... until it grows up!