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12 October 2026
If a small creature could win a boxing match against an animal many times its size, you might suspect a mistake in the rules.
Meet the mantis shrimp.
Despite its name, it is neither a mantis nor an ordinary shrimp. Some species possess specialised appendages that strike with extraordinary speed, allowing them to crack hard shells and capture prey.
The astonishing part is how quickly the strike happens. The movement is so rapid that it can create a brief bubble of low pressure in the surrounding water. When that bubble collapses, it releases additional energy in a phenomenon known as cavitation.
In other words, the target may experience more than the direct impact.
These animals are small, but their equipment is remarkably effective. Their specialised striking limbs are built for a very particular job, and they use them with precision.
It is tempting to imagine the mantis shrimp as an angry little boxer, picking fights beneath the sea. In reality, it is simply using the tools that evolution has given it to survive.
Still, the thought is amusing. Somewhere on the ocean floor, a creature small enough to fit in your hand carries a punch that engineers have studied for its unusual mechanics.
The sea has no shortage of beautiful things. But occasionally it produces something that makes you wonder whether nature has a sense of humour.
Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
