The tropical and subtropical waters of the world (like the Indian and Pacific Oceans) are home to a number of colorful residents. Amidst the many strange ocean floor dwellers are a unique species of mantis shrimps – the boxer shrimp!
It’s no coincidence that these mantis shrimps sound like fighters. Even though they are only about 4 inches long, these rather aggressive counterparts of crabs and lobsters really know their way around the perfect right hook! A young scientist like yourself might already know that water is much denser than air and offers quite a lot of resistance . However, that doesn’t stop the boxer shrimps from offering up one of the fastest jabs in the animal kingdom! The secret to their punches lies in their state-of-the-art claws.
The boxer shrimp punch
Boxer shrimps have a pair of legs that are modified into claws, and they’re made up of two parts – a system of muscles, and a hammer-like structure called the dactyl club. This acts as an energy storage system. When their arm is folded up, the muscles act like a spring. When it’s ready to throw a punch, the boxer shrimp rapidly releases its spring-like muscle system – this helps the claws move quickly! The dactyl club is like a hammer at the end of the spring and offers a lot of force !
The ability to throw a good punch makes the boxer shrimp a spectacular hunter! In order to disarm or kill their prey, boxer shrimps turn to their world-renowned jabs. This technique is especially useful as their prey usually are small crabs or snails that have a very difficult-to-break exoskeleton !
Although, these attacks aren’t just directed towards their prey. In fact, boxer shrimps use their fight response as a way to protect themselves when they face the threat of a predator. And that’s not all that they use these punches for! Turns out, boxer shrimps can be very territorial. It’s not always easy to make a life in the ocean – pockets of rocks in the sea are grounds for a lot of competition. To make sure no one takes away their space, boxer shrimps fight with other members of their species. In fact, they can remember how the fight turned out for over a month!
While they might spend most of their time hunting or fighting off unwanted encroachments, boxer shrimps are often found in symbiosis with other sea creatures like anemones and sea cucumbers. Boxer shrimps turn to these creatures for protection, and in return offer to clean their hosts. Some may even provide food! Clearly, these critters know a good friend when they see one!
Flesch Kincaid Grade Level: 7.3
Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease: 72.1
Glossary
Exoskeleton – A tough outer shell that protects the bodies of organisms that don’t have a backbone.
Force – A kind of push or pull that allows an object to move, stop, or change in shape
Resistance – A force that opposes another force
Symbiosis – A relationship in which anyone involved gets a mutual benefit out of it
References
Armor Yourself In The Same Megatough Material As This Boxing Shrimp. (2015, June 19). Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/punching-shrimp-inspires-armor/
Connected, S. (2021, June 2). How the Mantis Shrimp Packs a Powerful Punch. Science Connected Magazine. https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2021/06/how-the-mantis-shrimp-packs-a-powerful-punch/
Creature Feature: The Banded Boxer Shrimp | Western Australian Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from http://museum.wa.gov.au/creature-feature-banded-boxer-shrimp
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