50g Creature Makes Sound Louder Than a Jet Engine: What's the Secret?

Although it only weighs 50g, this creature can create a very loud sound, louder than the sound of a jet engine .

This tiny creature is the Alpheus bellulus snapping shrimp . This shrimp lives in the Indian Ocean - Western Pacific.

The Alpheus bellulus snapping shrimp, also known as the pistol shrimp , is one of the loudest creatures in the ocean. Despite its small size, this shrimp can make a very loud sound that can stun its prey.

Bellulus snapping shrimp. (Photo: Aquaorinoco)

In fact, the sperm whale is the loudest animal on earth, reaching up to 230 decibels (dB). However, relative to its size, the loudest creature on the planet is probably the Alpheus bellulus snapping shrimp.

According to experts, this shrimp species is only about 4-5cm long, weighs 50g, but they can make a sound of up to 200 dB . This sound is louder than the sound of a jet engine or a gunshot. Luckily, this crustacean lives under the sea because the human ear can only withstand a maximum sound of 120-130 dB.

Why does this tiny shrimp have such outstanding abilities?

The Secret Weapon of the Snapping Shrimp

According to researchers, the secret of this species of snapping shrimp turns out to be its large claws , a "weapon" that is more than half the length of its body.

The Alpheus bellulus shrimp possesses a pair of asymmetrical claws . The larger claw is the "weapon" that helps this animal create extremely loud sounds to hunt prey. Specifically, by closing the claw at extremely high speed, this large claw will create an air bubble that moves forward at a speed of about 100km/h, along with a loud bang.

Experts point out that the shock waves created by this animal can stun shrimp and small fish within a 2m range.

Asymmetrical claws are the secret weapon of the Alpheus bellulus snapping shrimp. (Photo: Newscientist)

When gathered in large schools, snapping shrimp can cause sonar interference and interfere with underwater communication devices.

According to experts, when two snapping shrimps face each other, they will suddenly close their large claws towards their opponent, creating an extremely strong jet of water at speeds of up to 30 m/s.

While the force of this shot is rarely fatal, it can cause the defeated shrimp to lose its claws or suffer serious injuries. This is the result of the shock wave emitted by the snapping of the shrimp's claws.

Phoevos Koukouvinis, a scientist at the University of London, and his colleagues simulated what happens when a shrimp snaps its claws shut at different speeds. The researchers found that after the claws close, the friction between the jets of water quickly sprays out, causing the surrounding water to create a vortex.

When this vortex starts rotating fast enough, it creates a void in the middle. When the void eventually collapses, it releases a powerful shock wave. To the surprise of the experts, this happens in less than half a millisecond.

The force of this shot can cause the defeated shrimp to lose its claws or suffer serious injuries.

Because they are only about 5 cm long, the "weapon" of the snapping shrimp is only aimed at animals of similar size. However, according to researcher Nancy Knowlton at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington (USA), it is recommended that you do not put your hand in the snapping shrimp tank.

"You wouldn't feel anything if you were just diving near a coral reef," says researcher Nancy Knowlton . "But if you put your hand in front of a snapping shrimp's claw, you would feel a lot of pain when you were hit by the shock wave."

In 2020, scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA) conducted an experiment on the noise of snapping shrimp in the ocean at different water temperatures.

As a result, experts concluded that as ocean temperatures rise with the effects of climate change, snapping shrimp will make more frequent and louder sounds than before . This is also their response to environmental changes. This will also make the ocean "noisier" .