Scientists are interested in a species of shrimp capable of landing surprisingly powerful punches without hurting themselves. The peacock mantis shrimp is named for its colorful carapace and lives on the seabed of the Indian and Pacific oceans near southeast Asia. Though only about one to seven inches long, it is a deadly predator equipped with one of the most powerful weapons in nature.

That weapon is a hammer-shaped dactyl club. The club is strengthened by a calcium-containing mineral, like that in human teeth and bones. During a strike, it reaches speeds of up to fifty miles per hour and hits with the force of twenty two caliber bullet. The club moves so fast it creates imploding bubbles in the water. The shrimp’s prey includes mollusks and other crustaceans, whose shells are cracked open by the force of impact.

To keep the shrimp in captivity, special precautions are needed because the club can smash aquarium glass. At the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the animal is exhibited in a special tank made of acrylic three to four times thicker than the glass of other exhibits.

In 2025, an international team of researchers published a study examining the structure of the shrimp’s club, to learn how the animal avoids injuring itself or its club when it punches. By firing laser pulses at the club, the researchers learned that its previously known structure of spiral staircase-like bundles can filter out harmful shock waves. The findings could be used to enhance a variety of human-made structures, from airplane wings, to wind turbine blades, to hockey sticks.

Learn more

• The Powerful Pistol Shrimp
• Plastic From Shrimp
• Amphipods have unwilling living backpacks

Sources

How mantis shrimp deliver punishing blows without hurting themselves, ScienceNews.org

Scientists recreate the mighty punch of the Mantis shrimp in a robot, wttw.com

Mantis shrimp have the world’s fastest punch—here’s how their limbs survive, Nature

Mantis shrimp clubs filter sound to mitigate damage, Sciencedaily.com 

How mantis shrimp survive their own lethal punches, earth.com

659. A. Alderete et. al. 2025 Does the mantis shrimp pack a phononic shield? Science, 387:659. doi: 10.1126/science.adq7100.