The unique mantis shrimp is a fascinating crustacean that has incredible characteristics, not the least of which is its impressive punch. It is not a shrimp, nor is it a mantis. It is merely 10 centimeters or four inches in length. 

Incredible Characteristics

It has a weird set of eyes that can detect cancer even before any symptoms show up. Furthermore, it has a fantastic appendage.

The eyes may be its weirdest features, but its punches are even more mysterious. They are fearsome because they are the fastest ever recorded in an ocean animal. It can punch 23 meters each second with a force of 1,500 newtons each punch.

David Kisailus, the material scientist from the University of California, says that if a human does that, they can break their fist. It impressed the researchers and prompted them to study the animal.

When the research team carefully examined the creature, they discovered that the animal had a coating made of impact-resistant nano-particles. This enabled it to use its appendage for reckless punching, with its coating dissipating the brunt of the force and absorbing it.

Some other mantis shrimp species can even use their claws in a spring-loaded hammering function. These smasher mantis shrimps employ split-second smashing movements to hit hard-bodied crab and snail prey, cracking open their tough shells to access the soft tissues inside and eat them.

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Past Studies on the Animal

Scientists have known these abilities from previous studies, which examined the various ways that the animal effectively uses their clubs. Some researchers even used the mantis shrimp and its equipment to create durable materials that are not presently found in nature. 

According to the research team in their new study, the past researches showed the capacity of the animal comes from its helicoidally-arranged, alpha-chitin, mineralized fibers with a herringbone architecture.

According to the team, these past studies provided insights on the toughening mechanisms of the appendage. However, they still haven't shed light on how the mantis shrimp copes with the strenuous, high rate, and multiple impact effects it feels from its clubbing movements. 

The New Study

The research team published their results in the journal Nature Materials. In the study, the researchers utilized atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to look into the minute surface composition of the club of peacock mantis shrimps (scientific name Odontodactylus scyllarus). They discovered that its coating is composed of a dense mineral hydroxyapatite matrix configured in a nano-crystal structural formation. 

As the animal hits a surface, its hydroxyapatite matrix configuration rotates, while the nano-crystal structure gets fractured which then reforms slowly afterward.

Kisailus says that with lower rates of strain, its particles get deformed, which then recover after the stress is gone. With high tension, however, the particles instead get stiff and get fractured in the interfaces of the nano-crystal. They break, but they then open new surface points which serve to dissipate significant energy.

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Future Applications

The mechanism is better than artificially engineered stiffening and dampening materials. As it is better than most technical ceramics and metals, the future shows promise regarding other applications. Kisailus says similar articles can enhance surfaces in vehicles, armor, and helmets.

From the initial discovery of its forceful punch, the mantis shrimp now deserves a closer look and further research.

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