So this is a mantis shrimp.

And mantis shrimp are called mantis shrimp after the praying mantises, which also have a fast feeding appendage.

And this is a spearing mantis shrimp, or stomatopod.

And this is a spearing mantis shrimp, or stomatopod.

So, mantis shrimp come in two varieties there are spearers and smashers.

So, mantis shrimp come in two varieties there are spearers and smashers.

Oratosquilla oratoria is a species of mantis shrimp found in the Western Pacific.

And mantis shrimp are officially the fastest measured feeding strike of any animal system.

Squid, octopus, cuttlefish, shrimp, and mantis shrimp are also taken, as well as carrion and smaller sharks and rays, though this is rare.

This is a recording I made of a mantis shrimp that's found off the coast of California.

And mantis shrimp are officially the fastest measured feeding strike of any animal system. So our first surprise.

So, actually, I started working on what's called the mantis shrimp a few years ago because they make sound.

And what he showed in mantis shrimp is that they use what's called a catch mechanism, or click mechanism.

And mantis shrimp are called mantis shrimp after the praying mantises, which also have a fast feeding appendage. And I started to think, well, maybe it will be interesting, while listening to their sounds, to figure out how these animals generate very fast feeding strikes.

Now, the other type of mantis shrimp is the smasher stomatopod, and these guys open up snails for a living.

Now, the other type of mantis shrimp is the smasher stomatopod, and these guys open up snails for a living.

So this is a mantis shrimp. There are the eyes up here, and there's that raptorial appendage, and there's the heel.

The group as originally described by Karl Grobben included the Stomatopoda (mantis shrimp), and some modern experts continue to use this definition.

So the next and final question was, well, how much force does a mantis shrimp produce if they're able to break open snails?

And while I was struggling to figure out how and why mantis shrimp, or stomatopods, make sound, I started to think about their appendages.

Witch Doctor Mantis.

And then we did a series of calculations, and what we were able to show is that these mantis shrimp have to have a spring.

And if any of you ever have a chance, backstage of the National Museum of Natural History is one of the world's best collections of preserved mantis shrimp.

It's shrimp!

And if we slow it down a bit, this is the mantis shrimp the same species recorded at 1,000 frames a second, played back at 15 frames per second.

So this is a potent force in fluid systems, and just to sort of take it one step further, I'm going to show you the mantis shrimp approaching the snail.

I'm a shrimp.

So, this what I saw, on every single mantis shrimp limb, whether it's a spearer or a smasher, is a beautiful saddle shaped structure right on the top surface of the limb.

, Heribert Illig, Mantis, 1996 Das erfundene Mittelalter.

Biologist Sheila Patek talks about her work measuring the feeding strike of the mantis shrimp, one of the fastest movements in the animal world, using video cameras recording at 20,000 frames per second.

Shrimp tostadas with avocado.

My cat loves shrimp.

My cat loves shrimp.

Those are all shrimp.

So, a quick strike like that. And if we slow it down a bit, this is the mantis shrimp the same species recorded at 1,000 frames a second, played back at 15 frames per second.

Here are shrimp boats employed.

We have eco friendly shrimp.

The flamingos eat the shrimp.

The shrimp eat the phytoplankton.

Three dozen most heavenly shrimp.

And if any of you ever have a chance, backstage of the National Museum of Natural History is one of the world's best collections of preserved mantis shrimp. And what this is serious business for me.

Then there's the deep sea shrimp,

Mrs. Groves, are the shrimp for?

This was how mantis shrimps make these very fast strikes.

So, this what I saw, on every single mantis shrimp limb, whether it's a spearer or a smasher, is a beautiful saddle shaped structure right on the top surface of the limb. And you can see it right here.