Alpheus madhusoodanai:
Researchers recently discovered a new species of pistol shrimp named Alpheus madhusoodanai in the Kochi backwaters
- Alpheus madhusoodanai is a new species of pistol shrimp, also known as snapping shrimp.
- It was discovered from Kochi backwaters, Kerala.
- It belongs to the family Alpheidae.
- It is the first alpheid shrimp species to be recorded from an estuary in the region.
- It has a burrowing tendency and contributes to the health of mangrove ecosystems by releasing toxic gases trapped in swampy soil.
- The pistol shrimp, also known as the snapping shrimp, possesses an extraordinary weapon — an oversized claw that can “fire” underwater bullets made of bubbles.
- These aren’t ordinary bubbles — they’re created through a process called sonoluminescence, “in which water is energised with specific vibrations causing emission of light through bubbles.
- The resulting temperatures can reach an astounding 4,400°C — nearly as hot as the surface of the sun.
- The sounds produced when the pistols of these shrimps are fired are among the loudest sounds that can be heard in the oceans.
- The pistol shrimp primarily uses this powerful weapon to catch prey.
- When hunting, it hides in its burrow, waiting for prey to come within range before firing its claw with remarkable speed and precision.
- There are hundreds of species found all over the world, but most species are found in reefs and seagrass beds in temperate and tropical regions.
