After a family kayaking trip to Ōhope, full of jellyfish, stingrays and orcas, Mount Maunganui resident Rebecca Martin spotted something unusual - a Japanese Mantis Shrimp.

“It was 17.5cm long,” Martin said.

This was the second sighting of the invasive shrimp species in Tauranga.

Martin and her brother spotted the shrimp on Thursday, December 12, in one of their fishing nets and remembered a SunLive article pointing out the pest.

The first had been spotted in a trap near Ōmokoroa Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Asian paddle crab trapping programme on November 29.

“We caught it; we took some pictures and sent the pictures to MPI,” she said.

By Monday, MPI had responded, identifying it as a Japanese Mantis Shrimp, according to Martin.

“They’re definitely not supposed to be in Ōhope.”

The shrimp is now in a deep freeze in Martin’s freezer while figuring out the best way to dispose of it.

In Japan, they are commercially farmed and can be eaten, Bay of Plenty Regional Council biodiversity officer Andy Willis said in an email.

“They are considered a delicacy in some cultures such as Japan.”

While eating them is considered safe, he said picking or handling them is not recommended.

“They can inflict a nasty injury. It is best to use a knife to the head to kill them.”

Spiny claws and tails can cause gashes and have earned this particular crustacean the name of ‘thumb-splitter’.

Native shrimp, crabs and juveniles can all fall prey to the spiny claw and tail of the Japanese Mantis Shrimp.

“They burrow in soft sediments, sand, and mud, which can alter habitats. In large numbers, they can leave no space or food for other species.”

It is likely that Japanese Mantis Shrimp migrated originally to New Zealand via a dirty vessel or larvae dispersal.

“They were first reported in New Zealand in Kaipara Harbour in 2010 and since then have been spreading around the North Island,” Willis said.

Report the find to the regional council through the website along with details of the size, location and date, Willis said.

“Please provide photo if possible. This will help to determine the potential distribution range within the region.”

Photos are to be sent to marine.pests@boprc@govt.nz.