Peacock Mantis Shrimp (The Fastest & Most Powerful Punch)

Odontodactylus scyllarus, commonly known as the peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin mantis shrimp, painted mantis shrimp, clown mantis shrimp, or rainbow mantis shrimp, is a large stomatopod native to the epipelagic seabed across the Indo-Pacific, ranging from Guam to East Africa, and as far South as Northern KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. They are members of the order Stomatopoda and taxonomy group Crustacea, which are hard-shelled animals, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, and more. The peacock mantis shrimp is one of the larger, more colorful mantis shrimps commonly seen, ranging in size from 3 to 18 cm.

The peacock mantis shrimp are powerful hunters, feeding on hard-shelled invertebrates of all kinds and even some fishes. They are well known for the extremely fast punching motion that they do with their front appendages to kill and break apart their prey. This punch is one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom and is strong enough to break through an aquarium’s glass wall. It is reported to have a "punch" of over 50 miles per hour, the fastest recorded punch of any living animal. The speed of a raptorial appendage's strike causes cavitation bubbles to form. When those bubbles pop they release a large amount of heat, temporarily raising temperatures to near those at the surface of the sun and further weakening the armour of their prey. In addition, the surface of its hammer-claw is made up of extremely dense hydroxyapatite, laminated in a manner that is highly resistant to fracturing and can break ordinary glass tanks. Peacock mantis shrimp use this behavior to break open snails and other mollusks and to completely dismember crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans.

Besides having the fastest punch, they also have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. They can see as many as 12 different colors (compared to human eyes that see three). In addition, the mantis shrimp has four extra photoreceptor pigments for color filtering. In addition to seeing many more colors, the mantis shrimp can also see ultraviolet light and detect different planes of polarized light and circular polarized light. Its eyes which protrude from its head and move independently can see in two different directions at once.

The peacock mantis shrimp dig U-shaped burrows in the sand near the reef’s edge from which they venture out to hunt and to attract mates ranging from 3 to 40 meters deep. There are accounts of them damaging coral when they wish to make a home within it. These shrimp also rely on their sparing moves to keep enemies away from burrows in the ocean floor that they use as shelters. Hovering at the opening of its burrow, a peacock mantis shrimp will strike at intruders that come too close.

The peacock mantis shrimp reproduce via internal fertilization, and after laying the eggs, the females carry them around on their front appendages until they hatch, protecting them and keeping them clean. Some peacock mantis shrimp may form monogamous pair bonds.

The peacock mantis shrimp is one of the largest and most colorful species of mantis shrimp and is therefore desirable for the private aquarium industry. While some aquarists value peacock shrimp, others consider them harmful pests because they are voracious predators that will eat other desirable inhabitants in the tank. Some of the largest specimens can break aquarium glass by striking it.

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