Hitting second was one of the rarest foods I'll eat on this trip.  The mantis shrimp, colloquially known as the "peeing" shrimp because of the jet of water it can shoot out when being handled, is a prehistoric-looking creature.  It's difficult to tell which end is which, I'm sure another useful adaptation over these millions of years, and it's closer in size to a small lobster than it is to a "regular" shrimp.  The same holds true for its flavor and texture; the meat is relatively sweet and not stringy like that found in a crab.  Something I found surprising was the roe that ran down the middle of much of its body, or at least I thought it was roe; it was hard and dry and not very flavorful.  Included is a picture of the surgical tools needed to crack open the plate armor on these little monsters.  The mantis shrimp were expensive, priced per piece at about $38 each, and I had two for good measure.  The dish was prepared with scallion and dried, minced garlic along with a tiny bit of fried rice noodles.  While the overall flavor was very nice, the meat was a bit tough, and it didn't separate easily from its shell like shrimp and lobster often do.  I'm afraid to think these might've been frozen or par cooked; they certainly weren't snatched out of the above aquarium after I placed my order.  I find it off putting to have to work so hard at eating a dish; that's exactly the reason why I never order king crab legs, and those are much easier to deal with than these.  The wet naps they left me at the beginning of the meal were greatly appreciated.  I'm glad to have tried them, but I won't rush for seconds.