1. in small groups
   in large groups
2. alone

They spend most of their time in burrows, lying in wait for passing prey.

1. their relative intelligence
   their powerful claws
2. their running speed

These shrimp use their claws for lightning strikes that can slash human skin and even break glass.

1. true
2. false

A second major category, called spearers, instead uses a spear to stab prey.

1. highly evolved feet
   complex eyes
2. humanlike blood

Their eyes are some of the most amazing known to science.

1. Its mouth is shaped like that of a praying mantis.
   It is just as aggressive as a praying mantis.
2. It tucks appendages under its body like a praying mantis.

Its elegant (and deadly efficient) posture makes it look like the insect that shares its name.

1. true
2. false

The smashers may be 10 times faster than their already speedy cousins.

1. echinozoa
   veneroida
2. stomatopod

Like other shrimp it is a type of crustacean.

1. about 8 inches (20 centimeters)
   about 15 inches
2. about 20 inches

Most are around 4 inches; the largest ever was 18 inches.

1. true
2. false

They may be active at any time depending on the species and location.

1. 16
   eight
2. five

Human eyes, which are also complex, have only three.

1. four times as many
   eight times as many
2. 10 times as many

They can also move each eye independently of the other, making for a truly amazing party trick.

1. about 100
   about 450
2. about 620

They are found in sea waters all over the world.

1. about 30 million years
   about 100 million years
2. about 250 million years

They are an ancient animal that has evolved in many subtle and amazing ways.

1. 50 times as fast as a blink of an eye
   10 times as fast as a blink of an eye
2. five times as fast as a blink of an eye

If a mantis shrimp decides to attack you, you won't dodge its blow.

1. It changes color.
   It cavitates.
2. It becomes harder than normal water.

The water vaporizes, causing cavitation bubbles; ultimately it's like a tiny implosion.

1. It adds a powerful shock wave to the attack.
   It boils them.
2. It makes them more buoyant and easier to eat.

With a pair of clubs matched to a pair of cavitation shockwaves, a hungry mantis shrimp shows no mercy.

1. true
2. false

They are exceedingly aggressive and will happily chase prey and beat it to death.

1. so that she has something to eat during the offspring's larval stage
   so the male can take care of one
2. so she can scurry back and forth between the two

The male is then required to take up protective duties, better ensuring that some of the young survive.

1. They treat each other like prey.
   They scuffle.
2. They trick each other.

They typically hold back their primary weapons to avoid major injury.

1. first set
   second set
2. third set

The first set of legs helps to steady the attack.

1. 18 months
   three years
2. 20 years or longer

These tough shrimp live longer than most house cats.

1. true
2. false

But many are monogamous and spend years of their lives together.

1. 30 feet per second (9 meters per second)
   75 feet per second
2. 90 feet per second

A springlike system, including a latch, helps to keep the weapon in check until the shrimp needs it.

1. one
   three
2. six

Mantis shrimp can actually use polarized vision in specific cases; no other creature can.

1. true
2. false

They are crustaceans, but they technically aren't shrimp.

1. lobster
   shrimp
2. chicken

Often, they taste more like lobster than shrimp.

1. in the eye
   in the brain
2. in the brain stem

The eyes are bigger than the brain and do the processing.

1. It breaks down.
   It gets sharper.
2. It becomes articulated.

But because they molt, the shrimp will just replace those body parts, anyway.

1. speed
   lack of intelligence
2. sea water effects the brain

With the massive amount of incoming information, it is faster for the shrimp's eyes to process many of the visual cues.

1. They are too violent.
   They eat just about everything.
2. They are hard to care for.

The shrimp might survive, but it might kill just about everything else in the tank.