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In a 2020 experiment, Mediterranean mantis shrimp (Squilla mantis) struck more slowly and with less kinetic energy and power when their striking appendages moved through air rather than water. The result ran counter to the expectation that less drag in air might let the spring-powered limb move faster. Why the animals produced less powerful air strikes remains unresolved; the researchers discussed possible explanations, including adjustment of strike output and energy dissipation.
The finding applies to the species and experimental conditions studied, not to every mantis shrimp or every kind of strike. The separate research on underwater cavitation and its additional force peak concerns smashing mantis shrimp, especially the peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus).
The counterintuitive result: air was not the faster medium
Feller, Sutton, and Gonzalez-Bellido reported the experiment in “Medium compensation in a spring-actuated system,” published in the Journal of Experimental Biology in 2020. Using high-speed video to analyze defensive strikes by seven S. mantis, they found slower and less powerful strikes in air than in water.
| Measure | In air | In water |
|---|---|---|
| Mean appendage tip velocity | 5.0 ± 1.1 m/s | 8.7 ± 1.3 m/s |
| Mean kinetic energy | 5.0 ± 2.4 mJ | 15.5 ± 8.6 mJ |
| Mean mechanical power | 0.42 ± 0.28 W | 2.0 ± 1.2 W |
| Strikes recorded | 31 | 36 |
These are study averages, not values that apply to all mantis shrimp. In their abstract, the authors summarized the finding: “Using high-speed video analysis of stereotyped strikes elicited from Squilla mantis, we found the exact opposite: strikes are much slower and less powerful in air than in water.”
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How the experiment worked—and what it can show
The researchers used high-speed video to analyze defensive strikes by seven S. mantis in air and water under controlled experimental conditions. The results establish a difference in strike performance in that study. They do not establish a population-wide value or show that every species, strike type, or freely moving animal would respond the same way.
The authors initially expected the lower-drag medium might allow faster movement, but observed the opposite. The experiment found the performance difference; it did not demonstrate a single underlying sensory or mechanical cause.
How a spring-loaded appendage makes a rapid strike
Mantis shrimp preload elastic structures in the striking appendage and hold the loaded mechanism with a latch. Releasing stored energy produces a rapid movement that does not rely on muscle contraction alone during the swing.
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- Load: Muscles gradually store energy in elastic structures.
- Hold: A latch keeps the mechanism loaded until release.
- Release: Stored energy drives the rapid appendage movement.
This is a latch-mediated spring mechanism. It helps explain how a shrimp can produce a fast strike, but by itself it does not explain why the measured strikes were slower in air.
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Why does the shrimp strike less powerfully in air?
The study found lower average tip velocity, kinetic energy, and mechanical power in air. The reason is not settled. The authors discussed the possibility that the animal modulates its strike depending on the medium, and considered that explanation more likely than a simple difference in how force transfers through air and water. The underlying sensory or motor mechanism was not demonstrated.
They also proposed that water may absorb energy that would otherwise remain in the limb. The idea that a slower air strike could help avoid damage is a hypothesis for further testing, not an established explanation or adaptation. The result should not be reduced to “water helps the shrimp” or to the idea that water’s density alone makes a strike more powerful.
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How this differs from the famous cavitation strike
“Mantis shrimp” refers to a diverse group that includes smashers, with club-like appendages, and spearers, with elongated prey-catching appendages. The 2020 air-versus-water experiment measured defensive strikes by S. mantis. Much of the famous research on cavitation and a second force peak concerns underwater strikes by the peacock mantis shrimp, O. scyllarus.
In a separate study, Patek and Caldwell measured direct impact followed by a force peak associated with cavitation-bubble collapse. The reported 390–480 microseconds between peaks comes from that distinct research, not the 2020 S. mantis experiment.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Cavitation occurs when a rapid pressure drop forms vapor-filled cavities in water; their collapse can produce a secondary force event. It is not ordinary boiling. These findings help explain the damage an underwater strike can cause, but they do not establish why the 2020 study’s air strikes were slower.
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What the “bullet punch” comparison gets wrong
A mantis shrimp strike may be described with dramatic comparisons, but saying it is “like a .22-caliber bullet” is not a like-for-like scientific result. Speed, acceleration, force, energy, and momentum are different measures. The studies discussed here do not establish that a shrimp strike is literally equivalent to a firearm projectile.
What the study teaches us about animal movement
The finding is a reminder that lower drag does not guarantee a faster movement in a spring-powered animal. The observed result is clear for the tested S. mantis strikes: they were slower and less powerful in air. The explanation remains uncertain, with medium-dependent control and energy dissipation among the researchers’ proposed possibilities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Would a mantis shrimp punch faster out of water?
Not in the 2020 experiment on Squilla mantis: mean tip velocity was 5.0 ± 1.1 m/s in air and 8.7 ± 1.3 m/s in water. Those are averages from one study, not a rule for every mantis shrimp.
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Why does the mantis shrimp punch less powerfully in air?
The cause has not been established. The study authors discussed possible strike modulation and differences in energy transfer or dissipation, but did not demonstrate the underlying mechanism.
Are the air-versus-water results about peacock mantis shrimp?
No. The 2020 comparison studied defensive strikes by Squilla mantis. The peacock mantis shrimp, Odontodactylus scyllarus, features in separate research on underwater impact and cavitation.
Do all mantis shrimp strikes create cavitation bubbles?
The cavitation findings cited here come from separate underwater-strike research, particularly on smashers such as O. scyllarus. They should not be assumed to describe every species or every strike.
Does a mantis shrimp strike really equal a bullet?
No like-for-like equivalence is established. A comparison must specify the physical quantity being compared, since speed, force, and energy are not interchangeable.
The Bottom Line
In the 2020 study, Squilla mantis strikes were slower and less powerful in air than in water. The study reported mean tip velocities of 5.0 ± 1.1 m/s in air and 8.7 ± 1.3 m/s in water, alongside lower mean kinetic energy and power in air. Why remains unresolved; the authors discussed possible medium-dependent modulation and energy dissipation, not a proven single cause.
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