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Mantis Shrimp Research Paper

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“They see something, walk up to it, pick it up, and maybe beat the crap out of it,” says Justin Marshall, referring to a commonly unknown creature called the Mantis Shrimp. This species often goes overlooked and unnoticed by most of the world and not just because it only grows 2-7 inches (“Peacock Mantis Shrimp” 1). Since it is such an unknown animal, many people do not know what it is or what makes it remarkable. How can the small mantis shrimp, a crustacean whose appearance is more like that of a clown than a ferocious beast, be worth noting in the different fields of science? They are more interesting than they seem. Mantis shrimp possess a vast array of fascinating physical features that set them apart from other sea-dwelling animals: their clubs …show more content…

This happens 50 times faster than the blink of an eye...” (“Peacock Mantis Shrimp’s” 1). The specific bow-like muscle system is what allows it to accelerate so fast. As a result of the extraordinary speed the shrimp’s appendages can reach, the energy released into the water causes it to cavitate or vaporize the water when it hits the prey. Cavitation is a very destructive phenomenon; when the bubbles from cavitation burst, they cause a small implosion like reaction that produces heat, light, and sound. The cavitation bubbles act like a second impact to whatever animal the mantis shrimp is targeting. If the first punches fail to immediately kill the prey, the cavitation bubbles would create the implosion that would finish the job. The same type of cavitation bubbles that the shrimp can create have been known to badly damage rotating boat propellers (Caldwell “Mechanics of Movement” 1).With its speed, force, and effect on the water around it, mantis shrimp have very little predators and can quickly annihilate whatever prey it sets its eyes

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