Talk about some wild mechanics: Mantis shrimp (Order Stomatopoda) can really pack a punch! Their two forelimbs can accelerate at the same velocity as a gunshot and move so fast that the water around the limbs boils (called supercativation)! As the boiling bubbles collapse they create a shockwave that can kill prey even if they miss. The mantis shrimpʼs epic punch can break through shellfish, kill fish, and break through aquariums.

[Sketch and fact contributed by Karli Chudeau.]

Source:

Patek, S.N., Korff, W.L. and Caldwell, R.L., 2004. Deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp. Nature, 428(6985), pp.819-820.