The snap of a Pistol Shrimp's claw creates a bubble that momentarily reaches heat hotter than ____.
The Pistol Shrimp is one of the loudest animals in the ocean, using a unique "bubble gun" to hunt its prey.
The Mechanics:
- 🔫 By snapping its oversized claw at high speed, it creates a high-pressure cavitation bubble
- 💥 When this bubble collapses, it produces a sound reaching up to 218 decibels (louder than a jet engine)
- ☀️ For a tiny fraction of a second, the temperature inside the bubble reaches 4,700°C (nearly the temperature of the sun's surface)
The Purpose:
- 🎯 The resulting shockwave is powerful enough to stun or kill small fish and crabs instantly
- ✨ This phenomenon is also accompanied by a flash of light, known as sonoluminescence
It is a remarkable example of nature using complex physics as a survival tool.