By Desiree Salas (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Sep 08, 2014 05:29 AM EDT

Strange things keep turning up in Florida's waters.

Two fishermen were in for a literally huge surprise when they pulled in an unusually large shrimp while fishing from a Fort Pierce dock, Mashable reported.

"Fisherman Steve Bargeron says that the shrimp measured about 18-inches long and was striking its own tail when they retrieved it from the water," the site said.

That's about almost as long as your arm!

The giant shrimp was reportedly striking its own tail when it was fished out, so Bargeron "grabbed it by its back like a lobster," The Daily Mail noted.

Well, if you'd get a hold of a crustacean this size, you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a super-sized lobster or an alien creature.

"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they are stumped as to the exact species of the underwater creature," the British publication went on to say. "But they believe it could be some type of mantis shrimp - which is actually neither a mantis nor a shrimp at all, but a kind of crustacean called a stomatopod."

Bargeron's catch may reach about a foot in length or even longer, in rare cases. The recently caught specimen is probably one of those at the extreme ends of the range.

"There are more than 400 species of mantis shrimp worldwide," The Huffington Post said. "Some species of mantis shrimp can punch with the speed of a .22 caliber bullet, with enough force to crack glass."

Good thing the lucky fisherman was wise enough to not let himself be at the mercy of this creature's limbs.

"The mantis shrimp is one of the major invertebrate predators on coral reefs, sea grass beds and sand and rubble flats, but relatively little is known about the species," The Daily Mail added. "But the creatures are known for their large stalked compound eyes, which give them incredibly complex vision."

According to People, since the FWC posted the photo of the "monster shrimp" on Facebook Thursday last week, the image has been shared at least 7,800 times after about 2 days.

There has been no update as to what the fisherman did with his rare catch. However, it is said that the creature is actually "delicious if cooked right," according to The Huffington Post.

How would you like this crustacean prepared if you were to eat it? Or would you rather have it donated to a scientific institution for further study?

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