One of nature’s finest peculiarities is the mantis shrimp, a crustacean closely related to the pistol shrimp. The pistol shrimp occupy the family Alphidae, while mantis shrimp are the most notable part of the broader order Stomatopoda (Duffy, 2003). Nonetheless, the groups are considered evolutionary brothers and the traits and instincts of the organisms are closely related, as both have the strength and agility to create cavitation bubbles as a direct result of their strike (Patek, 2004). In addition, both are within subcategories of the class Malacostraca. Stomatopoda is an aquatic order dwelling primarily in colonies in tropical shallow waters. Their grouping and dwelling capabilities are but one of the features setting Stomatopoda
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This, however, is not an actual spring, as the gap would provide an apparent opening in the animal’s exoskeleton. Instead, this mechanism is a saddle-shaped device called a hyperbolic paraboloid (Patek, 2004). This shape allows a reduction of stress by allocating the potential energy over a three-dimensional surface. This is dissimilar to a spring because the latter only compresses in one direction whereas the hyperbolic paraboloid can bend both upwards and downwards while compacting itself (Patek, 2004). Immediately after the paraboloid rapidly extends, the mantis shrimp instinctively draws it back into a spring-and-catch system that stores the potential energy with little leakage until the next release (Summers, 2004). With this system speeds up to 23 meters per second (51.4 mph) can be achieved from an organism approximately 30 centimeters in size (Patek, 2004). With this remarkable speed, great amounts of friction are generated. This leads to a nearly instantaneous vaporization of the surrounding water, which appears as if the liquid has been displaced. This is called a cavitation bubble, and can be up to a quarter inch in size (Patek, 2004). These vapor bubbles are then released in the form of light, heat, and/or sound. The achievement of a cavitation bubble can only be produced by organisms that can strike nearly as fast, or faster than, the mantis shrimp (Patek,
This, however, is not an actual spring, as the gap would provide an apparent opening in the animal’s exoskeleton. Instead, this mechanism is a saddle-shaped device called a hyperbolic paraboloid (Patek, 2004). This shape allows a reduction of stress by allocating the potential energy over a three-dimensional surface. This is dissimilar to a spring because the latter only compresses in one direction whereas the hyperbolic paraboloid can bend both upwards and downwards while compacting itself (Patek, 2004). Immediately after the paraboloid rapidly extends, the mantis shrimp instinctively draws it back into a spring-and-catch system that stores the potential energy with little leakage until the next release (Summers, 2004). With this system speeds up to 23 meters per second (51.4 mph) can be achieved from an organism approximately 30 centimeters in size (Patek, 2004). With this remarkable speed, great amounts of friction are generated. This leads to a nearly instantaneous vaporization of the surrounding water, which appears as if the liquid has been displaced. This is called a cavitation bubble, and can be up to a quarter inch in size (Patek, 2004). These vapor bubbles are then released in the form of light, heat, and/or sound. The achievement of a cavitation bubble can only be produced by organisms that can strike nearly as fast, or faster than, the mantis shrimp (Patek,