Peacock Mantis Shrimp Punch Coloring Sheet

---

---

Learning about the Peacock Mantis Shrimp Punch is made possible by: Make math simple and effective with CTCMath for grades k-12, and Award-winning science curriculum by Apologia.

---

Can a Mantis Shrimp Punch Really Break Glass?

Do you have a favorite color? Mine is green, and one of my favorite activities is searching for green things outdoors—like beetles, caterpillars, or lush summer trees. Colors add joy to exploring nature, but what if you could see even more colors than you do now?

There’s a creature in God’s creation that sees colors we can’t even imagine—and it has a superpower punch, too! Meet the fascinating mantis shrimp.

Here’s what we’re discovering today:

• What exactly is a mantis shrimp?
• Can a mantis shrimp punch through glass?
• How do mantis shrimp see their colorful underwater world?
• What invisible wonders surround us?

What Exactly Is a Mantis Shrimp?

First things first: a mantis shrimp isn’t really a mantis or even a shrimp! It’s actually a type of crustacean (like crabs and lobsters), but it gets its name from its unique looks. The most well-known type is called the Peacock Mantis Shrimp, named after its vibrant peacock-like colors, mantis-like posture, and shrimp-shaped tail.

The mantis shrimp belongs to its very own category called stomatopods. They’re found in coral reefs and are fierce hunters that love eating creatures with tough shells, like crabs and clams. But how exactly do they crack open those shells? With a powerful punch!

Can a Mantis Shrimp Punch Through Glass?

You’ve probably heard stories of the legendary mantis shrimp punch—but are they true? Absolutely!

A mantis shrimp punch is incredibly powerful, despite the mantis shrimp only being about the size of your hand. Their punch moves faster than a speeding bullet and strikes with unbelievable force. There are two kinds of mantis shrimp—spearers and punchers—and the Peacock Mantis Shrimp is a puncher. Its front limbs, known as dactyl clubs, look like tiny boxing gloves.

Here’s the amazing part: the mantis shrimp punch actually creates two impacts. The first hit strikes the prey directly, but the second impact is a result of an underwater explosion caused by something called cavitation. The punch is so fast it creates a tiny bubble that collapses, generating intense heat (almost as hot as the sun!) and a shockwave strong enough to break glass aquariums.

God designed the mantis shrimp’s punch to be extremely powerful yet precise. Scientists study their super-strong dactyl clubs hoping to replicate their durability and strength in cars, planes, and armor. This process of studying nature to inspire new technology is called biomimicry.

Psalm 104:24 beautifully describes the wisdom of God’s designs:

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

How Do Mantis Shrimp See Their Colorful Underwater World?

If you think the mantis shrimp punch is incredible, wait until you hear about their eyesight! A mantis shrimp has eyes on stalks, and move independently like a chameleon’s. But what’s truly amazing is their ability to see colors humans can’t even imagine.

We humans see the world through three types of color sensors. A mantis shrimp? They have sixteen color sensors! That means they’re seeing colors far beyond our wildest imagination—colors we don’t even have names for.

What Invisible Wonders Surround Us?

Considering the mantis shrimp’s extraordinary vision and powerful punch, I wonder: how much more is there around us that we simply cannot see or understand?

The Bible says in Colossians 1:16:

“Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen.”

There’s so much more out there than what meets our human eyes. Scientists even acknowledge that most of the universe consists of invisible matter and energy, known as dark matter and dark energy. Isn’t it amazing to think God created a universe full of invisible wonders that we’re only beginning to understand?

1 Corinthians 13:12 encourages us that one day we’ll see everything clearly:

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.”

I can’t wait for the day when we’ll fully experience all of God’s amazing creation. Until then, let’s keep exploring and marveling at God’s wild and wonderful world.