The Bullseye Pistol Shrimp (
Alpheus soror) is bright yellow/orange with purple claws and a characteristic blue bullseye dot on each side of its body. Wikimedia Commons (CC BY SA 3.0)
Being called a shrimp doesn t exactly make you known for having sizable strength or an intimidating presence. But there s one little weird wonder of the sea the pistol shrimp that crushes the stereotype in a dramatic way. It s so powerful it not only shoots and annihilates its prey; it has thrown the U.S. Navy off track, landed a superhero role on Netflix and even helped researchers make strides in fighting climate change. Pistol shrimp, also known as snapping shrimp, earn their sea cred by creating something that s seemingly childlike and innocuous: bubbles. But these definitely aren t your ordinary bubbles they make a sound louder than a gun and generate massive amounts of heat.