Okay, we've had some good, typical monster fishes. Weird fish, cool fish, freaky fish, photoshopped fish.
But, we haven't seen anything... well...
BadUntil now.
Ladys and Gentlefish, I now introduce you to...
The Mantis Shrimp
Lemme show you how agressive these things are....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EEMeVSQWw0 (There are tons of movies about these)
Now, I know that looks like a typical, elite mother nature fight....
There's one way to explain just how powerful these 11 inch shirmp are.
"Around 400 species of mantis shrimp have currently been described worldwide, which are commonly separated into two distinct groups determined by the manner of claws they possess:
Squilla mantis, showing the spearing appendages
Spearers are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips, used to stab and snag prey and some have a blunt, calcified club on the elbow.
Smashers, on the other hand, possess a much more developed club and a more rudimentary spear (which is nevertheless quite sharp and still used in fights between their own kind); the club is used to bludgeon and smash their meals apart. The inner aspect of the dactyl (the terminal portion of the appendage) can also possess a sharp edge, with which the animal can cut prey while it swims.
Both types strike by rapidly unfolding and swinging their raptorial claws at the prey, and are capable of inflicting serious damage on victims significantly greater in size than themselves.
In smashers, these two weapons are employed with blinding quickness, with an acceleration of 10,400 g and speeds of 23 m/s from a standing start. Because they strike so rapidly, they generate cavitation bubbles between the appendage and the striking surface. The collapse of these cavitation bubbles produce measurable forces on their prey in addition to the instantaneous forces of 1,500 N that are caused by the impact of the appendage against the striking surface, which means that the prey is hit twice by a single strike; first by the claw and then by the even bigger force from the collapsing cavitation bubbles that immediately follows. Even if the initial strike misses the prey, the resulting shock wave can be enough to kill or stun the prey.
.Some pet mantis shrimp have managed to break through their double-paned aquarium glass with a single strike from this weapon.
Many saltwater aquarists are currently caring for stomatopods across the world. In fact, some are even making vital discoveries of the behavior of certain species as well as defining certain aspects of others. These dedicated aquarists may play a major role in understanding the many mysteries involving the mantis shrimp. However, mantis shrimp are considered by many domestic marine aquarists as pests. They can often sneak into a tank hidden in rocks, and once there, they can feed on fish, corals, and smaller crustaceans. They are notoriously difficult to catch once established in a well stocked tank."
Wikipedia.
I happened upon a topic about these little buggers... There is some grand storytelling there. Probally embellished, but even so, these are some pretty awesone shrimp. (If only more people called me "shrimp")
*posted before, but briefly