It looks like a shrimp. Why would I want to write about a shrimp? Well, this is kind of a bad-ass that goes by the name of peacock mantis shrimp. And who doesn't like bad-ass animals?
To set things straight from the start: not a peacock, not a mantis, and also: not a shrimp (closely related though). Guess they should have named it something else maybe.
Some quick facts:
Name: Peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus)
Size: 3-18 cm
Distribution: most species live in the Indian and Pacific Ocean between Africa and Hawaii, but the occasional mantis shrimp can be found in colder seas
Habitat: under rocks, burrowed in a hole waiting for their prey to come close
Food: clams, small fish, small invertebrates
What makes this creature more bad ass than, let's say, your average brown shrimp? Obviously the colours are more appealing (peacock part of the name explained). But that's not it.
First of all, they have incredible eyes that can move separately from each other. Each eye has 3 focal points, which means it can see depth with 1 eye where we need both our eyes to do that. And that's not all...they have 16 photo-receptors (light receptors). We have 3: blue, red and green. It is impossible to imagine what a mantis shrimp can see! They perceive UV and infra-red light, they can see polarised light (we can't), and they can see colours we don't even know exist. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Second of all. These creatures can throw a serious punch.
Under its body it has a club-like appendage that it uses to strike at prey (or enemies). It kind of looks like the legs from a praying mantis (explains mantis part of the name). And it's fast! About 50 times faster than the blink of a human eye. Can you imagine that? It strikes with such a force that it can break shells, and even thick glass. Yeah, don't put your finger near one, it hurts!
And because it's informative and funny: True facts about the mantis shrimp:
Check out the other videos on YouTube by this guy. He's funny!
links used:
http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/mantis-shrimp
https://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png
http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4135381/Peacock+Mantis+Shrimphttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM_ZpVW3LtmeIEP_ABHRW5fCEZGMWXmt1DVnX55TUKLPeMSNPdh99acaeqmjoEnJtkCO2ABR1omQotshI697O6m0dKC4I21UDK4GGcyT6vQz8pzx_erkDXG9xZPAiNnCZNP9Kai0PtS19/s400/Mantis-shrimp.jpg
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/species.php?name=o_scyllarus
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/23/the-mantis-shrimp-sees-like-a-satellite/
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