Pistol Shrimp
(Alpheus digitalis)

Found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide, the Pistol Shrimp punches well above its weight — literally! 

 

As seen in the gif below, it snaps its specialized claw so rapidly that it creates a cavitation bubble — a tiny implosion that produces a flash of light, a shockwave, and temperatures briefly rivalling the surface of the sun, all to stun or kill prey!

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Did you know that if a Pistol Shrimp loses its snapping claw, the remaining smaller claw grows into the new weapon, and a small claw grows in its place? It essentially switches hands!