Humans have always been
infatuated with animals. Animal Planet and National Geographic have always been
a huge hit. Pets have been a part of mankind for hundreds of years, and zoos
and aquariums are a place of wonder. The ocean is also a place that allows for
that wonder to go wild. Along with the wonder that goes along with the ocean,
it is also a place that holds so much danger which is also enticing. In this
world of danger and wonder is the mantis shrimp. It is a lesser known animal,
because it can’t be put on display, and for good reason.
It is well known that humans have
eyesight that is below average in the animal world. However, it is hard to
think about what creates better eyesight if it is beyond human scope. Let’s put
this into perspective: Humans have three color receptors (red, green &
blue) which allow us to see all the colors in our rainbow and beyond. If these
three cones let us seen every human known color, imagine what it would be like
if there were more types. For example, butterflies have red, green, blue, and
two other unknown cone receptors that allow them to see even more colors than
humans. In contrast the mantis shrimp has sixteen different color receptors.
Sixteen! They are able to see colors that humans cannot even imagine. They are
also able to see UV light, polarized light, and are the only animal that is
able to see circularly polarized light. Can you imagine being able to see how
various light waves move in a circular pattern? These mantis shrimp are also
able to focus and detect depth independently with each eye and move each of
their eyes independently. It is virtually impossible to envision what the
mantis shrimp see – but it does make you think what could be invisible right in
front of your eyes.
Not
only can the mantis shrimp see every color under the sun, the moon, and the
stars but it will also kick your ass. It will attack anything that it doesn’t
particularly like that day including anything in the sea, humans in their
habitat, or debris that looks at them funny. It has two “dactyl clubs” that are
appendages on the front of the shrimp that are usually held close to their
body. When they strike at prey the clubs accelerate at the same rate of a 22
caliber rifle. They can break shells of clams, oysters, and other mollusks
without becoming injured. They are also able to break through aquarium glass
which is why they are only common in the ocean. Not only are they able to break
almost anything they come across, they strike at such a speed (75 feet per
second!) that they create an area of low pressure which makes vapor bubbles
around the strike. When the bubbles collapse they release energy that creates
pops of light and an area of heat that reaches over 8,000°F. If they don’t kill
their prey with their strike, they can hit them with the boiling water.
Although the heat is short-lived, it can still stun the prey and knock them out
to give the shrimp another chance to strike and kill to bring dinner back to
the family.
The
mantis shrimp the perfect definition of small but mighty. It certainly can pack
a punch and may be able to see things that we cannot but we can learn a lot
from its way of life. Research has been looking into the hunting clubs of this
amazing creature to try and recreate them as weapons. Through dissection,
scientists have figured out that the mineral hydroxyapatite is highly present
in different forms. This mineral is found in the body as a main mineral in
human bones and teeth! Who knows – the future military could be making shields
and battering rams to mimic the technology learned from this impressive sea
creature.
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