Ontogeny

burrowThe stomadopod's behavior is not just a product of evolution; it also comes from a lifetime of development and learning. The study of this development over the course of an organism's life is called ontogony.

Learning is an important feature of stomatopods, as they have the capability to recognize past threats, identify individuals, and change their behavior as a result. For instance, a stomatopod who investigates a cnidarian and gets a painful sting as a result will remember to avoid that animal and similar ones for the rest of its life (8).  

Stomatopods are able to engage in relatively complex memory mechanisms such as recognizing former mates, remembering adversaries and how they fared against them, and other potential threats(2).

Picture from http://rickcollier.photoshelter.com.


When it comes to threat displays, the ability to learn plays an important role in the dynamics. Stomatopods can recognize individuals of their species whom they have previously encountered using chemical cues, therefore allowing short and long term individual recognition. When a stomotopod loses a fight, it remembers both the individual involved and the outcome of the conflict (2).

This was tested by initiating a fight between two mantis shrimp with a clear winner and loser. The loser shrimp was exposed to an empty burrow containing water from the winners burrow, and was reluctant to enter (2). When roles were reversed, the winner had no problem entering the burrow filled with the loser's water(2). It appears stomatopods modify their behavior based on prior memory.

Threat display deception is enhanced by these mechanics. A stomatopod can use its reputation as a powerful fighter to act as a deterrent towards others when they are vulnerable during their molting period (2). If the molting stomatopod recognizes a weaker opponent from its past, it will vigorously threaten, most likely driving the opposition off without conflict.

Similarly, it can flee when threatened by one it knows it has little chance of victory over. Stomatopods can use their remarkable abilities of learning and recognition based on chemical cues to identify potential threats and respond accordingly. Without these learning abilities, their deceptions would be greatly weakened.