With impressive eyes, mighty strength, and a punch with the force of a .22 caliber bullet, the mantis shrimp is one of the ocean’s most impressive little wonders. These sucker punches are used on animals such as: worms, squid, fish That they are predators, predators, and prey on each other.
New research shows that their shells provide a good shield against rival mantis shrimps, absorbing an additional 20 percent of impact. Here are the findings: The research began on May 9th. Journal of Experimental Biology.
“In giant giant clams, when competing for shelter, competitors deliver bullet-like blows to each other’s armored tail plates (telsons),” said study co-author Patrick Green, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. There is. stated in a statement.
previous research It turns out that mantis shrimp have an exoskeleton that can withstand blows. Like a shock absorber or sandbag, it absorbs some of the impact. However, these studies examined their armor in a laboratory setting. As a more natural right, territorial mantis shrimps use their tails as a shield by coiling them in front of their bodies.
[Related: Baby mantis shrimp punch their prey with superior strength.]
inside study, Green was interested in how the way he received impact changed depending on how he used his tail. Greene introduced these crustacean pairs and recorded their fights. “They immediately started fighting,” he said.
green Footage of this battle shot at 30,000 to 40,000 frames per second– Approximately 1,000 times faster than regular cameras. By analyzing the movements of the appendages before and after contact, they were able to calculate how much energy was delivered by each punch. This and the movement of the tail before and after impact showed how much energy the tail dissipates with each blow.
![wildlife pictures](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L7r9F-A8BSQ/hqdefault.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
By using a coiled, durable tail plate, the mantis shrimp appears to be able to dissipate more energy than it can absorb through its armor alone.
“It made logical sense to me that you could dissipate more energy by moving the armor off the ground,” Green said. “Think of a boxer moving when he receives a punch.”
[Related: These crustaceans take cheap shots at rivals by growing enormous claws.]
However, the results were different when considering appendage movements and moving both the appendage and tail together. Green plans to continue studying the mantis shrimp’s armor, fighting to learn what role its various shapes and sizes play.different Types of mantis shrimp The intensity of fighting also varies, and there may be a correlation between behavior and form.
“When trying to understand how animals combat shock, we need to think about both the structures they use (such as armor) and how they use those structures,” says Green. he says. “This research helps link behavior and morphology, allowing us to better understand how animals overcome fights.”