Steve Bargeron was fishing in Fort Pierce, Florida one night when he realized he had hooked something big. He had no idea just how big until he wrangled it out of the ocean. At 18”, the size of the catch would have been cause for excitement if it were most any kind of fish, but Bargeron never could expected to catch a foot-and-a-half-long mantis shrimp.
Or, at least, what he thinks is a mantis shrimp. It’s hard to be sure.
After making the catch, Bargeron tweeted pictures he had taken of the creature to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Scientists seem to agree with Bargeron’s assessment, but the photos will continue to be studied until a conclusive decision can be made.
Mantis shrimp aren’t related to the shrimp we know and eat too much of at social events, but even the biggest mantis shrimp only grow to about 12”.
(via MyFWC, H/T Laughing Squid)
Knowing that those things are swimming around in the ocean sure makes it a lot easier to come to terms with the beach season being over. I just hope I can forget about this jumbo mantis shrimp before next summer!
