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There are more than 400 species of mantis shrimp and they can range in a variety of colors from brown to colorful blues and reds. The one shown above is the peacock mantis shrimp and they can be found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. What is special about the peacock mantis shrimp is that they can throw some of the fastest and most powerful punches in nature. The mantis stores energy in its arm. When the energy is released, the mantis smashes its prey with the speed of a 22-caliber bullet. This is 50 times faster than the blink of an eye and can easily break through the shell of a crab or mollusk. Because they strike so rapidly, they generate air bubbles between the appendage and the striking surface-known as cavitation bubbles. The impact can also produce sonoluminescence from the collapsing bubble. This will produce a very small amount of light within the collapsing bubble.