The Peacock Mantis Shrimp
By Juan
What is it?
The mantis shrimp is also known as “sea locusts“, “prawn killers” and “thumb splitters”. Their front claws can deliver a punch that is as powerful as a gunshot. The mantis shrimp can’t be kept in normal aquariums, as they punch through other sea life and even the glass.
Facts
Fact 1
Its lineage can be traced back five hundred million years
Fact 2
There are 400 species of mantis shrimp worldwide.
Fact 3
A peacock mantis shrimp can punch with a speed equal to a .22 caliber bullet.
True Facts About The Mantis Shrimp
How fast can a mantis shrimp strike?
Stomatopod strikes are one of the fastest known movements in the animal kingdom. Although they exist in a medium significantly denser than air, their strikes are 10 times faster than those of the land-based Praying Mantis. The raptorial appendages of stomatopod spearers can go from full rest to a speed of 10 meters/second in 4-8 milliseconds.