Biology
How fast does a mantis shrimp strike?
The peacock mantis shrimp strikes at about 23 m/s. The collapsing cavitation bubble it leaves behind flashes with light and briefly reaches thousands of degrees.
Source: Patek, Korff & Caldwell (2004), Nature.
Context
About 23 metres per second, measured by Patek, Korff and Caldwell in 2004 with high-speed video. The club accelerates so fast that the water cannot follow it.
The strike leaves a cavitation bubble behind, and when the bubble collapses it gives off a flash of light and briefly reaches thousands of degrees. The prey gets hit twice: once by the club and once by the bubble.
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