The Shrimp That Punches Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Meet the mantis shrimp: a creature about the size of a hot dog that somehow managed to become one of the most terrifying things in the ocean. Found in shallow tropical seas, these colorful crustaceans pack a punch — literally — with a club-like appendage that strikes at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. That is fast enough to shatter aquarium glass, which some owners have discovered the hard way.

The punch is so explosive it creates a cavitation bubble — a tiny pocket of near-vacuum that collapses with a flash of light and heat reaching around 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The bubble hits the prey almost simultaneously with the claw itself, meaning the mantis shrimp effectively punches its food twice with one swing. Nature loves an overachiever.

If that were not enough, mantis shrimp have 16 types of color photoreceptors. Humans have a measly three, which we use to argue endlessly about whether a dress is blue or gold. Scientists originally assumed the mantis shrimp must experience an incomprehensible rainbow of color, but research suggests their brains process color differently — more like a quick barcode scan than a painting. Efficient and a little humbling.

So the next time you order shrimp cocktail, pour one out for the crustaceans. Somewhere in a warm sea, a two-inch punch machine is out there living its absolute best life.