Aggressive Japanese shrimp that packs a punch shocks New Zealand

Government officials in New Zealand are investigating how an aggressive species known as the “thumb splitter” ended up in the country’s northern coastal waters.

Researchers out trapping Asian paddle crabs – an invasive species – in Tauranga Harbour were “shocked” to find they’d caught a Japanese mantis shrimp, according to a Facebook post last week from the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

“It’s the first time one has been found in the Bay of Plenty region but it’s not something to celebrate,” officials said.

While only one has been caught and formally identified by researchers, officials said they’ve received multiple reports about additional sightings from the public and are using this information to determine how widespread the species might be in the harbour.

“Japanese mantis shrimp can easily be confused with a native species that is of similar size and colour,” said a November news release from the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council.