Ever heard of an animal called the mantis shrimp? This marine biota belongs to the order stomatopod which turns out to be different from the shrimp species, you know. Mantis shrimp can usually be found in various tropical and subtropical waters in the world with depths that tend to be shallow.
As a carnivore, the mantis shrimp has a different way of life from other crustaceans. They tend to be more aggressive and active in hunting, especially at night. When resting or waiting for prey, the mantis shrimp will also usually bury itself in the sand.
Well, not only that, mantis shrimp also holds a number of interesting facts that might surprise you, you know. Curious what it is? Let’s see in the following article!
1. Mantis shrimp consists of many types that are distinguished by the way they hunt
There are 450 different types of mantis shrimp. The average mantis shrimp species in the world can grow from 10 cm to 30 cm in size with the largest specimen ever caught reaching 46 cm in size. The body color of each species is also different.
Reported Great Barrier Reef Foundation, besides size and color, one of the determining factors that distinguish the type of mantis shrimp is how they hunt prey. Broadly speaking, it is known that mantis shrimp can be divided into two types with different hunting methods, namely hitting and piercing.
Mantis shrimp by hunting and hitting tend to have hard forelegs so that they are able to hit prey and predators with a strong blow. While the piercing type mantis shrimp has sharper forelegs so that the blow will pierce and penetrate the bodies of prey and predators.
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2. Mantis shrimp have amazing eyesight
close-up of mantis shrimp eyes (barrierreef.org)–
One of the advantages of mantis shrimp that even exceeds humans lies in its eyes. They have a compound eye type similar to humans but more sensitive. The vision of these crustaceans is even said to be able to see cancer cells with the naked eye and the movement of neuron cells, you know.
Quoted from the page Biology Dictionary, the complex and astonishing evidence of the eye of the mantis shrimp is in the cell types for detecting color and wavelength. Humans only have three types of cells, while the mantis shrimp has 16 types of cells. This makes them the creatures with the most functional eyes among other creatures that have been studied.
In addition to being able to see cancer cells and neuron cells, it is said that the eyes of the mantis shrimp can detect ultraviolet and infrared light. This is due to the ability to see wavelengths that are five times better than humans.
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3. The punch of the mantis shrimp is very fast and strong
Not only about the eyes, the advantage of the mantis shrimp that makes it very scary is the power of the blow. As already mentioned above, the mantis shrimp is an animal with the strongest punch force among other types of animals in the world.
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Biology Dictionary reported that the bat-type mantis shrimp can stamp its forelegs at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kmh) in a matter of seconds. The acceleration of their punches is also faster than 22 millimeter caliber bullets, you know. With this power, mantis shrimp is able to generate energy of up to 1,500 Newtons or the same as being hit by an object weighing 154 kg.
Not only that, because of the fast and strong blow of the mantis shrimp, a sonic wave will be created due to their movement. This can make prey or predators who are quite unlucky when approaching them will receive two blows in a matter of seconds which is certainly very deadly.
Also Read: 10 Most Beautiful and Amazing Giant Sea Animals!
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4. They are thought to be much older than the dinosaurs
sightings of mantis shrimp in the dark (biologydictionary.net)–
One of the surprising things about mantis shrimp turns out to be their age. Like several other types of crustaceans, mantis shrimp have lived for millions of years on Earth. In fact, it is said to be much older than the dinosaurs.
Mentioned in the page Mental FlossThe order stomopods has begun to evolve separately from other types of crustaceans since 400 million years ago. This means that the mantis shrimp family began to evolve about 170 million years earlier than the dinosaurs
In addition, mantis shrimp evolved in isolation and produced a variety of unique characteristics that are certainly different from other crustaceans. Some researchers call them “shrimp from Mars” because some of their body parts are very strange.
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5. Their punching ability helps researchers to develop body armor
red mantis shrimp (mentalfloss.com)–
Besides being used for consumption and rearing in a number of countries, it turns out that mantis shrimp is also very useful for researchers. One of the main things of concern is their hitting ability and body resistance after delivering such a powerful blow.
Reported Mental Floss, researchers found a unique material in the hands of the peacock mantis shrimp. It is said that the material is named hydroxyapatite, a crystallized calcium-phosphate compound.
In addition, the surface of the mantis shrimp sleeve also contains polysaccharide elastic. Both of these materials make the impact of the mantis shrimp can be so strong, but also can reduce the impact of the blow on the body.
The hand design on the mantis shrimp then inspired researchers to create body armor made of carbon fiber with applications similar to those of the animal. Currently, the shield has been produced for the use of airframes and military equipment.
Well, those are the five interesting facts about mantis shrimp. It turns out that behind its very small size, this one marine biota saves a very amazing fact, right?
Also Read: 6 Facts About Yawning Animals, Do All Animals Do It?
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