A Florida fisherman was in for a huge surprise when he pulled a giant shrimp out of the water.
 
Steve Bargeron said the enormous crustacean measured 18 inches in length and was striking it’s own tail when he reeled it in from a dock in Fort Pierce.
 
After taking some photos he handed them over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who identified that the creature might be a type of mantis shrimp
 
Despite the name, mantis shrimp are actually a kind of crustacean called stomatopods that dwell in burrows at the bottom of warm waters. They have strong claws and some species in captivity are capable of breaking through aquarium glass with a strike from their powerful tails.
 
They usually grow to around 12 inches long, making the Fort Pierce example the largest recorded specimen of its kind.
 
 Photos by Steve Bargeron