Subaquatic Illusion: Cryptic Mantis in a Mystical Realm. In this photograph, we are transported to a realm that appears to exist beneath the ocean's surface, where a Cryptic Mantis (Sibylla pretiosa) graces a branch with its otherworldly presence. The entire scene seems like a creation of the deep sea, where light dances and mingles with the hidden mysteries of the underwater world but it's just an illusion and the photo was taken on the land.