Month: September 2023

Among the vast array of fascinating creatures that roam the depths of our oceans, there is one in particular that puzzles scientists and animal lovers: the mantis shrimp. Its powerful punch, complex social interactions, and amazing bodily abilities make the mantis shrimp one of the most mystifying inhabitants of the sea. In today’s post, we will be doing a deep-dive (no pun intended) into this perplexing creature.

The mantis shrimp is a marine crustacean generally found in shallow tropical or subtropical waters. It is about 2-7 inches long, which is minuscule compared to the other creatures we covered in previous posts. Despite its small size, it packs a powerful punch. It can deliver an explosive 60 mph punch in a matter of milliseconds with its front claws. Its strike has the same acceleration as a .22-caliber bullet, and its claw moves so fast that it momentarily heats the water around it to nearly as hot as the surface of the sun. It uses this mechanism to instantly kill and tear the appendages off of its prey. For perspective, if it were to punch you, it would tear your flesh clean off and probably break your bones. Do not underestimate this guy because of its small size.

The mantis shrimp is unique in its means of communication. Its mating ritual is one of them. Two mantis shrimp do a special mating dance to attract one another. They flail their legs around and showcase their impressive range of colors. They can change the color of their bodies to a multitude of vibrant hues. If the two shrimp decide they are interested in each other, they engage in a relationship that can last the rest of their lives. The new couple will find somewhere to burrow together. They will call this place home and cooperate to raise their children here. It’s clear the term “love birds” apply to more than one species. Additionally, when communicating casually with other mantis shrimp, they will move their bodies in intricate ways, flash different colors, and strike different poses. They do this to mark their territories, engage in mating rituals, and convey other pieces of important information among each other. Their communication style is sophisticated and complex, proving them to be intelligent specimens. Maybe these mysterious creatures are smarter than we can even comprehend—a spooky thought.

Being a tiny creature, the mantis shrimp packs a number of impressive bodily functions. In fact, they are renowned for their impeccable eyesight. Their eyes are divided into three sections. One is for polarized vision. Another is for color reception, and it has 16 cones. For reference, humans only have 3 cones. These shrimp can see things that we cannot. Their world consists of a variety of other colors that we simply cannot process with our eyes. The third part enhances their depth perception. This function allows them to spot their prey from astounding distances with extreme precision. In union with their deadly punch, their super-sight makes them a dangerous threat and a biological machine.

The giant squid is a species of cephalopod that is known for its monstrous size: around 12-13 meters. It wields the title of the largest invertebrate on Earth. This incredibly large creature serves as an example of abyssal gigantism, the tendency for deep-sea invertebrates to grow much larger than their shallow-water dwelling counterparts. To put it into perspective, if the giant squid were measured from the tips of its tentacles to the top of its head, it would be the same size as about 12 baseball bats lined up (I would need all of them to feel safe around one). The largest giant squid ever discovered measured a whopping 18 meters. In addition to its terrifying body size, it has the largest eyes of any animal on Earth—roughly the size of a soccer ball. It uses them to locate objects in the deep, dark waters—a place where most animals couldn’t see anything. Even through the picture, its enormous eyes pierce straight through your soul.

These beasts are almost never seen by humans because of the depths of waters they occupy: from 1,000 to 2,000 feet. They dwell in the depths of all oceans around the world.  Most research conducted and recorded about these creatures is from dead ones washing up onto shore and their carcasses being found in the stomachs of whales. It is very unlikely you would find one in the wild (thankfully), unless you tried very hard to do so. Although they are rare to find, they are known for being extremely aggressive and territorial; there are several documented accounts of giant squid attacking deep sea divers. They use their eight long and slimy tentacles to grab their prey and pull them down into the water. If you’re especially unlucky, they will pull you towards their beak, which is the hard and sharp opening of its digestive system, used to slice their victim’s flesh into swallowable pieces. It is safe to say you do not want to cross paths with this horrifying brute. Beware of becoming human salami.

When prompted with the name “giant squid,” a popular myth might come to mind. The Kraken is a cephalopod-looking monster originating in Norse mythology. According to the myth, the Kraken haunts the Northern European seas, and it tricks sailors into thinking its massive body is an island to land on (which barely makes sense because why would an island be shiny and red). Once the ship is within the beast’s grasp, it pulls the entire vessel underwater, destroying it entirely. Finally, it brutally slaughters the sailor and the unlucky passengers that happen to be on it. There are reported sightings of the Kraken dating back to the 1700s. It is now known that this mythological creature was based on the sightings of giant squid. Surprisingly, Greek and Roman naturalists already knew about existence of the giant squid; Aristotle even wrote about it in his works. However, the extreme rarity of this mystic animal sparked the mythos to be written about it. Similar massive, squid-like beasts are featured in Japanese and Chinese mythology, showing how one elusive creature was able to produce so much wonder.