They are among the most important predators in many shallow, tropical and subtropical marine habitats. Varieties range in colour from shades of brown to vivid colours, with more than 450 species of mantis shrimp known. A mantis shrimp's carapace (the hard, thick shell that covers crustaceans and some other species) covers only the rear part of the head and the first four segments of the thorax. Mantis shrimp typically grow to around 10 cm (3.9 in) in length, while a few can reach up to 38 cm (15 in). Stomatopods branched off from other members of the class Malacostraca around 340 million years ago. Mantis shrimp, or stomatopods, are carnivorous marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda (from Ancient Greek στόμα ( stóma) 'mouth', and ποδός ( podós) 'foot').
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