# What Do Peacock Mantis Shrimps Eat?

> What peacock mantis shrimps eat: Carnivore (crabs, snails, mollusks, fish), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Burrows on tropical Indo-Pacific reefs.

- **Species:** Peacock Mantis Shrimp (*Odontodactylus scyllarus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore (crabs, snails, mollusks, fish)
- **Habitat:** Burrows on tropical Indo-Pacific reefs
- **Lifespan:** 3–6 years
- **Top speed:** Strike reaches over 80 km/h (50 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mantis-shrimp/what-do-mantis-shrimp-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mantis-shrimp/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) is a vividly coloured predatory crustacean of tropical Indo-Pacific reefs, famous for the fastest strike in the animal kingdom. Growing up to about 18 cm (7 in), it swims over the reef and burrows in the seabed, smashing snails and crabs with club-like appendages that accelerate at over 80 km/h (50 mph). It has extraordinary eyes and lives three to six years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The fastest punch in nature

The peacock mantis shrimp belongs to the "smasher" group, armed with a pair of club-shaped appendages folded under the body like a coiled spring. When released, the club accelerates faster than a rifle bullet leaving a barrel, reaching a strike speed of over 80 km/h (50 mph). The blow is so fast that it briefly boils the surrounding water, creating collapsing bubbles that deliver a second shockwave. This lets the animal shatter the shells of snails, crabs and clams that other predators cannot crack.

## Help protect the Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mantis-shrimp/what-do-mantis-shrimp-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.