mantis shrimp

mantis shrimp

n.

Any of various burrowing predatory marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda, chiefly of tropical waters, having stalked eyes and a pair of knifelike claws that resemble the legs of a praying mantis and are used for striking or spearing prey. Also called stomatopod.

mantis shrimp

or

mantis crab

n

(Animals) any of various burrowing marine shrimplike crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda that have a pair of large grasping appendages: subclass Malacostraca. See also squilla

man′tis shrimp`

n.

any of numerous shrimplike crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda having a greatly enlarged second pair of grasping forelimbs somewhat resembling those of a mantis.

[1870–75]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

mantis shrimp - tropical marine burrowing crustaceans with large grasping appendages mantis crab order Stomatopoda, Stomatopoda - mantis shrimps stomatopod, stomatopod crustacean - a kind of crustacean mantis prawn, squilla - a kind of mantis shrimp