Wetpixel members Josh Jensen and Liz Harlin of Undersea Productions have been a part of David Attenborough’s “First Life” series for BBC / Discovery Channel. The new series used 9 clips from their stock footage library, including some amazing footage of a mantis shrimp catching a small passing fish. It was filmed in Indonesia.

“Fish scales scatter after the mantis shrimp pulls its prey down into its burrow. Mantis shrimps are marine crustaceans, like crabs and lobsters.This particular species, Lysiosquilla sp., is the “spearer” type of mantis shrimp: its front claws have barbed edges that it uses to spear and snag prey. The other type of mantis shrimp, the “smasher”, has front claws that are more like a club, used to bludgeon prey. Mantis shrimp can strike at the speed of a .22 calibre bullet.”