The Pistol Shrimp (Alpheidae) possesses one normal claw, and one that is about half the size of its body. This claw shows an adaptation that allows the shrimp to obtain food and defend itself, as it stays open until a muscle causes it to snap closed, ejecting a powerful jet of water traveling at an incredible 60mph. A bubble forms in the low pressure area behind the stream of water, which is called a cavitation bubble. As the bubble implodes, it produces a flash of light and the interior temperature reaches over 5,000 degrees Kelvin. The resulting shock wave easily stuns and kills small fish, crabs and other shrimp at close proximity, which the pistol shrimp drags into its burrow to feed on.
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