How do mantis shrimps use spearer claws to capture prey?

Mantis shrimps, which belong to the crustacean order Stomatopoda, are specialized predators that utilize their second pair of thoracic limbs to capture food. These appendages are categorized into two functional types: "smashers" and "spearers".12

In "spearer"-type stomatopods, the raptorial claw is specifically adapted for hunting soft-bodied prey, such as fish. The claw is toothed and spiny, allowing the shrimp to stab and secure its prey with rapid, precise movements. This mechanism contrasts with "smashers," which possess a swollen, hammerlike claw designed to crush the shells of bivalved mollusks and other hard-shelled organisms.12

Once the prey is captured by these raptorial appendages, the malacostracan uses its maxillipeds—or "jaw legs"—to pass the food to the mouthparts for consumption.2