Laurel
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I'm not sure how many other people are really interested in the science behind things, but I found this to be pretty interesting and thought someone else here might as well. It was on the Facebook page "I F@^&%$* Love Science." I'm just going to directly quote them.
"The mantis shrimp is one of the most incredible creatures found in our oceans. Over millions of years, it has equipped itself with an arsenal to rival that of any other organism, besting the limits of human technology on more than one front.
Firstly, it packs the biggest punch of any predator, with a sophisticated muscle mechanism allowing speeds in excess of 50mph to be attained. Couple this with the ability to create extreme low pressure behind it's extended arm, causing the water to spontaneously boil, no prey stands a chance. This action releases intense energy, enough to break sheets of glass. For a very interesting TED talk on exactly this, visit:
Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals | Video on TED.com
That is not all. The mantis shrimp has the most sophisticated and extensive eyes of any known creature. With their unique shape and composition, the shrimp can see in most directions simultaneously, as well as observing more of the spectrum than us humans, both at the infra-red and ultra-violet ends. This excellent asset, coupled with the killer punch, makes the mantis shrimp one of the most effective predators in the world, as well as being one of the most beautiful. The in-depth explanation for this exquisite sight can be found here:
http://scubageek.com/articles/mantis_eye.pdf" -JA
"The mantis shrimp is one of the most incredible creatures found in our oceans. Over millions of years, it has equipped itself with an arsenal to rival that of any other organism, besting the limits of human technology on more than one front.
Firstly, it packs the biggest punch of any predator, with a sophisticated muscle mechanism allowing speeds in excess of 50mph to be attained. Couple this with the ability to create extreme low pressure behind it's extended arm, causing the water to spontaneously boil, no prey stands a chance. This action releases intense energy, enough to break sheets of glass. For a very interesting TED talk on exactly this, visit:
Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals | Video on TED.com
That is not all. The mantis shrimp has the most sophisticated and extensive eyes of any known creature. With their unique shape and composition, the shrimp can see in most directions simultaneously, as well as observing more of the spectrum than us humans, both at the infra-red and ultra-violet ends. This excellent asset, coupled with the killer punch, makes the mantis shrimp one of the most effective predators in the world, as well as being one of the most beautiful. The in-depth explanation for this exquisite sight can be found here:
http://scubageek.com/articles/mantis_eye.pdf" -JA
