Remember those punching bags hung on to a contraption you used to see in amusement parks? If you punch properly then you win a prize and stuff and also get to show off! We puny kids never tried it of course! But do get comforted by the knowledge that even the most muscular and strongest dude may not pack the strongest punch!
That title has been given to a creature whose punch is so strong and fast that it can break a crab’s legs or a snail shell without a thought!
The strike is so fast that it is like the speed of a .22 caliber bullet—and it causes bubbles to form and collapse in the water! This energy release creates an impressive force thousands of times the creature’s bodyweight that combines with the initial strike to smash open the shell of its prey, killing the animal inside!
This natural assassin can grow to around the length of a butter knife, and they have rainbow shells—usually blue, green, and yellow—and red legs. Their purple eyes sit on top of stalks above their head and can move independently of one other for a better view!
Even their eyes are a piece of complex technology which in addition to move and see independently of each other can detect changes in the light spectrum!
So much so that they can detect cancer cells in your body! Like a natural PET scanner!
The animal is called the Peacock mantis shrimp—also called harlequin or painted mantis shrimp. These critters get their name from their kaleidoscope shell like a peacock’s tail and their hinged forearms which resemble that of a praying mantis and are kept tucked away until the moment of attack!
So how does that punch work? When not in use, the shrimp’s clubbed arm is fastened securely in place by a latch, allowing energy to build up. A saddle-shaped spring within the arm helps store even more energy. When the latch is released, the spring propels the animal’s claw forward in the fraction of a second—50 times faster than we can blink—to hit their prey. At 22 m per second, it is one of the fastest limb movements of any animal! The spring like mechanism is so similar to some machines which shoot or catapult!
Remarkably, mantis shrimp are unharmed by the blow thanks to complex layers within the club which absorb the impact and prevent the claw from cracking. This innovative design has inspired the development of materials for armor, sports helmets, and shock absorbers for vehicles!
Mantis shrimp use the same technique to defend themselves from predators. However, they only use this energy-intensive method of self-defense if they must. When under threat, they perform a behavioral display known as a meral spread before resorting to violence: standing on their hind legs, puffing up their chest, and spreading their arms to look as large and intimidating as possible. If the predator isn’t put off by this display, the shrimp will attack. But most who know the meral spread would not dare to fight!
Meaning that before he literally throws a punch that will most literally blow your mind, the shrimp gives you a warning! If you do not heed then it is entirely your fault!
But if you do not know birthday celebrity K. Surendran, better known by his stage name Indrans; then it is not your fault since his acting as a character and comedian is so flawless that he just clicks in place and packs a silent punch!
Now punch the pillows and make them soft and sleep!
Good Night!
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