A shrimp with 4,700 °C weapon

Alpheidae or the pistol shrimp is a family of caridean. It has asymmetrical claws, the larger of which is typically capable of producing a loud snapping sound. The 3–5 cm shrimp competes with much larger animals like the Sperm Whale and Beluga Whale for the title of 'loudest animal in the sea'. Go figure


This shrimp here can snap a specialized claw shut to create bubbles that generates acoustic pressures. The pressure is strong enough to kill small fish. The snap can also produce light from the collapsing cavitation bubble. As it collapses, the cavitation bubble reaches temperatures of over 4,700 °C. (the surface temperature of the sun is around 5,500 °C). The light is of lower intensity than the light produced by typical sonoluminescence. So we can't see it with naked eye.