HomeNewsEnvironmental & Sustainability NewsMarine Pest of the Week – Japanese Mantis Shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)
Marine Pest of the Week
Marine Pest of the Week is a series in which you can learn about the marine pests threatening New Zealand’s waters, how to identify them, and what you can do to help protect our marine environment.
OUR COVERAGE IS PROUDLY BACKED BY:
This article is presented with the support of clean below? Good to go., protecting the coastlines we love.

Marine Pest of the Week – Japanese Mantis Shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)

Published

An aggressive competitor with a dangerous but impressive ‘karate chop’ ability to stun prey. It lives in burrows in the sand and mud, causing damage and making it hard to trap. In large numbers it leaves no space or food for other native crab and shrimp species.


This species is known to be in the following locations in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty. If you find it outside this area, please report it.

Hokianga Harbour, Mangonui Harbour, Whangaroa Harbour, Bay of Islands,Whangarei Harbour, Kaipara Harbour, Tauranga Harbour, Waitemata Harbour, Whitianga, Raglan Harbour, Ohiwa Harbour,

This list is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing – for a full list of marine pest locations, please go to the Marine Biosecurity Porthole.


SHARE:

Boating News

Notices to Mariners June 2026: New charts, harbour updates and navigation changes

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has released the latest Notices to Mariners ...
Read more
Environmental & Sustainability News

Synergy protects our seas

The following editorial, Synergy protects our seas, appears in Surveillance Volu...
Read more
French Polynesia expands world's largest marine protected area across key Pacific cruising waters. // Hōkūleʻa Crew (screen grab)
Environmental & Sustainability News

French Polynesia expands world’s largest marine protected area across key Pacific cruising wat...

If you've done the passage north from New Zealand into the Pacific, you'll know ...
Read more

Comments

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand. Subscribe to view comments and join the conversation. Choose your plan →

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent articles