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26 September 2026
There is a small creature in the sea that carries something resembling a tiny hammer.
It is the mantis shrimp.
And it hits with astonishing speed.
Some species have specialised front limbs that can accelerate so rapidly that the strike creates a tiny shockwave in the surrounding water. The blow is strong enough to break the shells of prey.
The remarkable part is that the animal does not need to be large.
It is only a few inches long.
Perhaps that is why the mantis shrimp is such an amusing reminder that appearance can be misleading.
A creature that looks as though it belongs in a child’s aquarium can deliver one of nature’s most extraordinary punches.
And there is another curiosity.
Mantis shrimps have remarkably complex eyes and can detect forms of light that humans cannot see.
So this little underwater boxer is not only powerful.
It is also looking at a world that looks very different from ours.
The ocean is full of creatures we could easily underestimate.
The mantis shrimp is simply one of the more convincing ones.
Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
