By GARRETT BABB
Staff Writer
There are many animals on this planet that can do miraculous things. Some can shut their jaws with enough force to crush metal and others can run up to seventy miles per hour. But perhaps one of the most impressive creatures with amazing feats is the fabled mantis shrimp. Many of you may be wondering “what could a shrimp possibly do that’s so amazing?” and your questioning of it’s amazingness is valid. Afterall, most species of shrimps are not exactly very notable and only really serve as food. But the mantis shrimp is an exception, this shrimp although small in stature is known for it’s incredibly powerful punch. Yup a punching shrimp, but not just any punching shrimp, this shrimp can actually throw hands at a whopping fifty miles per hour. This punch is so fast in fact that it actually boils the water around the vicinity of it’s “fists” when it punches. But although it’s incredible punching power is the Mantis Shrimp’s claim to fame, it is also said to have one of the most complex visual systems in the entire animal kingdom. Compared to the three types of photoreceptor cells that humans possess the mantis shrimp have anywhere between twelve to sixteen, they can slo detect wavelengths in the water and utilize something called “spectral tuning” which allows them to sense things alternatively from simple light refractions like the human eyes. These eyes also allow for the mantis shrimp to see a variety of different colors outside of the spectrum that humans can see. These tools allow for the Mantis shrimp to not only be one of the most effective and versatile sea creatures but also by far the most interesting. So next time you eat a dish with shrimp in it, just imagine it punching you in the face at 50mph.
