Despite their importance to reef communities and distribution throughout much of the world’s warmer oceans, little is known about the mantis shrimp, a solitary ambush predator.
However, with a fossil record dating back some 400 million years, the history of the mantis shrimp helps researchers understand the evolution of some of their more intriguing features. Mantis-like arms which allow their amazing hunting behavior, eyes which are one of the most elaborate visual systems yet discovered, and incredible speed are just a few of the qualities that make this small shrimp a big deal.
Join Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Maya deVries as she shares her research on the biomechanics and ecology of the mantis shrimp and their impact on marine communities.
Watch Small but Mighty: Evolution of the Mantis Shrimp Strike.