Pistol Shrimps are tiny creatures with a deadly weapon. They are capable of shooting supersonic blasts from their fingertips with enough force to instantly stun or kill their prey. You may notice that one claw of a pistol shrimp is much larger than the other, and very strangely shaped. This claw serves as both its lethal weapon, and its voice. This claw can be forcefully snapped shut, shooting a jet of water out at such a high speed that it actually vaporizes the water. This causes a small air bubble to form. The bubble collapses with enough force to send concussive shockwaves capable of stunning and incapacitating prey. A pistol shrimp will lie in wait under a rock or in a burrow until food comes along. When it is in range, the shrimp will forcefully snap its oversize claw shut, shooting out sonic waves that incapacitate its prey. The helpless victim is dragged unconscious into the burrow and eaten by the pistol shrimp. Another unusual thing about pistol shrimps is that they often allow a fish to live with them. Certain kinds of goby fish often share burrows with pistol shrimp. The fish serves as a guard dog, protecting the shrimp from bigger predators. In return, the pistol shrimp works hard to keep the burrow clean and excavate their home. The loud blast created by a pistol shrimp's claw can be heard from great distances. Because of this, they also use their claw for communicating with other pistol shrimps. When you listen underwater you may hear a lot of popping sounds. Some of them may be made by pistol shrimps firing off their sound waves to communicate with each other.
This is the unbelievable moment a diver came face to face with a 50ft female humpback whale, as she swam in the South Pacific.
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humpback whale | Jon Cornforth
One of the most prestigious photography competitions in the world has announced the winners of its 2018 contest. The Hasselblad Masters Awards are held once every 2 years, selecting the very best photographers in 11 categories. This time, the contest attracted 31,500 entries (175% more than two years ago), receiving some of the most stunning pictures from across the world.
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A mixed batch of funny, interesting, and random pics for your enjoyment.
Meet the 44 dolphin species of the world in this brand new poster, from the largest, the Orca (Killer Whale) to the smallest, the Hector's Dolphin. Some of the most threatened dolphins are the ones found in freshwater ecosystems and estuaries, while many other species continue to decline. Dolphin prints are available as a wide range of prints, apparel and merchandise on my webstore here. (Note that the poster includes only species recognized by the IUCN. Sub-species like the Bolivian and Indus River Dolphins do not feature in this poster Printing and shipping within India are suspended at the moment and will resume after the COVID lockdown is lifted).
Billions of animals are killed every year. These shocking figures don't even include the sea creatures fished so intensely that the numbers can only be measured in tonnes. There are hundreds of thousands of animals that humans abuse. The huge number of animal cruelty cases reported is just the tip of the…
From kangaroos to koalas, quokkas and dingoes, these are the best places to see wildlife in Australia.
Giant trevally / ulua aukea (Caranx ignobilis) at Pearl & Hermes Atoll in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. For more information, visit www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/hawaiireef Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Papahanaumokuakea Contact us by email: [email protected] Photo by: James Watt/NOAA Office of Marine National Sanctuaries, 2002 Please contact Sue at www.seapics.com for image usage
