brainwagon

Apparently the peakcock mantis shrimp packs a mighty wallop, which can even shatter the glass of aquariums. They also are responsible for the introduction of a new word to my vocabulary: “shrimpoluminescence”. Catch the linked video below.

USATODAY.com – Shrimp spring into shattering action

The speed of the strike (up to 50 mph, or 23 m/s) creates cavitation bubbles between the shrimp’s hammer-like heel and the struck snail. The bubbles collapse, and generate heat, light, and sound. The shell shatters with a flash too-fast-to-see, and a bang. Watch the flash (called shrimpoluminescence for another species) in the video, slowed by a factor of 900. (Courtesy of Sheila Patek, Wyatt Korff and Roy Caldwell/UC Berkeley) Though the mantis shrimp’s tough heel is impregnated with hard minerals, still she must shed the pitted, damaged surface every few months, and grow new heel armor.

I have heard of the word triboluminescence before, which might provide a few minutes of goofy fun crushing Wintergreen lifesavers.

[tags]Science,Tribolumiscence,Shrimpoluminscence,Shrimp,Livesavers[/tags]

Addendum: Link to a bonus cartoon that only makes sense if you are as geeky as me, or read the above links.