A Small Creature With a Remarkable Talent
The pistol shrimp is a tiny marine animal with a surprisingly dramatic reputation. Its most famous feature is a specialized claw that can snap shut with extraordinary speed - speed you probably can't even wrap your head around. Although it looks modest, this shrimp has earned serious scientific attention for its unusual abilities, which is why you'll love these five crazy facts.
1. It Makes One of the Loudest Snaps in the Ocean
Despite its small size, the pistol shrimp can actually create a snapping sound that is extremely loud. The sound comes from the collapse of a cavitation bubble, not simply from the claw hitting shut. Even still, it's a bit hard to wrap your head around, especially if you've heard just how loud it is.
2. Its Claw Creates a High-Speed Water Jet
When the pistol shrimp snaps its larger claw, it does it so quickly that it forces out a rapid jet of water. This jet creates a low-pressure bubble that quickly forms and collapses.
Martin-Lefèvre P. on Wikimedia
3. The Bubble Can Produce a Tiny Flash of Light
This collapsing bubble we keep mentioning is a scientific wonder all on its own. It can briefly produce light, a phenomenon connected to sonoluminescence, but with pistol shrimp, this is sometimes called shrimpoluminescence.
4. The Snap Can Generate Intense Heat for an Instant
During the collapse of the bubble from a pistol shrimp's snap, temperatures can become extremely high for a very short moment. This heat is limited to a tiny area and does not turn the shrimp’s neighborhood into cooked food, but, it's incredible to think that this all generated from its one claw.
5. It Uses Its Snap for Hunting and Defense
Obviously, the pistol shrimp uses its powerful snap to stun prey, discourage threats, and communicate. This gives it an efficient tool for surviving in busy marine environments, and for fighting against creatures larger than itself. For an animal only a few centimeters long, it conducts itself with admirable confidence.
