Pistol Shrimp Impact Force

[No brains]

Does anyone here know how many psi a pistol shrimp's shot can generate?

Please note:

I am asking about the pistol shrimp, not mantis shrimp. If you could give me the figures for how hard each of their blows are, that's fine, but I'm more interested in the pistol shrimp's attack.

I would like some kind of more common equivalent to the forces generated by the shot. I heard a mantis shrimp and punch like a .22 pistol shot, but what about the pistol shrimp? A .35? A car hitting me at some speed?

Anyone who uses 'let me google that for you' will receive the I Hate You prize pack, including -1 internet, a curse of fumbling, and an infestation of a mystery parasite.

Thank you! :smallbiggrin:

[Mando Knight]

Anyone who uses 'let me google that for you' receive the I Hate You prize pack, including -1 internet, a curse of fumbling, and an infestation of a mystery parasite.

Aha! Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpheidae) isn't mentioned! (It has sources (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/289/5487/2114.full) listed, if you're interested...)

It caps at about 200 MPa as the bubble snaps.

However, the water mass and volume driven out by the pistol shrimp's claw is fairly small. It gives an exit velocity of ~97 km/h, and I'd estimate off the top of my head given the size of the shrimp (~3-5 cm long) that the cavitation bubble immediately displaces far less than a cc of water (about a quarter-ish?), so you're looking at... almost negligible total impulses at a human scale, really, but something sufficiently immense at the local impact site to deal some damage. Mantis shrimp are much larger...

Also, my Magnificent Hat (http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/clericalerrors/) reflects curses anyway. :smalltongue:

[Borgh]

Enough force that pistol shrimp aquaria need to be extra strong or the blast will break them.

[polity4life]

This thread title has the ring of a satirical, low-brow cartoon show a la Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Get to writing!

On topic, it appears you have the resources to make some headway on an answer to your question.

[Mando Knight]

Enough force that pistol shrimp aquaria need to be extra strong or the blast will break them.
The blast doesn't break them by itself: there's a lot of factors that play into it, including glass's very low ultimate tensile strength.

[Fiery Diamond]

This thread title has the ring of a satirical, low-brow cartoon show a la Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Get to writing!

That was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this thread title. :smalltongue:

On topic: I didn't even know there were pistol shrimp. Learn something new all the time.

[No brains]

Okay, okay, you can use that let me google that for you carp, just as long as I finally get my answer.