A Florida fisherman pulled out an 18-inch, massive shrimp-like creature from the waters in Fort Pierce, Fla., and fellow fisherman Steve Bargeron was able to witness the shocking discovery, USA Today reported. Now, scientists are attempting to figure out what the creature is.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Facebook, Bargeron watched another fisherman pull the creature from the water and grab it from the back like a lobster since the creature was striking with its tail.
Although the FWC was initially stumped, it believes the underwater creature could be some type of mantis shrimp - which is actually neither a mantis nor a shrimp at all, but a kind of crustacean called a stomatopod.
The mantis shrimp are described to be one of the major invertebrate predators on coral reefs, sea grass beds and sand and rubble flats, but relatively little is known about the species, according to UK MailOnline.
These types of crustaceans have compound eyes on large stalks that can move independently of one another and have incredibly complex vision, FWC said on its Facebook page, adding that they can reach 12 inches in length, or even longer in exceptional cases - which would put this catch at the extreme end of the scale.
"The second distinctive feature of the mantis shrimp is the powerful claws that they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning or even dismemberment," according to UK MailOnline. "This has earned the creatures the nickname 'thumb splitters' - due to their ability to inflict painful gashes using their claws if handled incautiously."
With more than 400 species of mantis shrimp roaming the earth, they appear in a variety of colors, from shades of brown to distinctive bright neon. Some of the brighter species use the fluorescent patterns on their bodies' behavioral signals to contact other mantis shrimp.
"They have surprisingly developed memories and are able to recognize individual neighbors that they have interacted with on a frequent basis previously," UK MailOnline reported. "The crustaceans can also recognize each other by visual signs and even by individual smell, and many have developed complex social behavior to defend their space from rivals."
In the meantime, scientists continue to review the pictures to identify the exact species.
