while at the seashore the other day I found this skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae) clinging to my net.
It’s an amphipod, related to the chunkier sandhoppers and scuds, but has a funky elongated body that allows it to cling to objects with its hindlegs while reaching out into the water to snatch smaller crustaceans with its claws like a tiny marine mantis.
At least some caprellids can also inject venom with their claws to paralyze prey, making them one of the few venomous crustaceans.
(via bloodpressurecuff)