Mantis shrimp punches hole in fisherman's foot after being caught
Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
In a remarkable piece of footage, a mantis shrimp 'punched' a hole in fisherman's foot after being caught.
We all know the sea is filled with a lot of dangerous creatures.
Of course, the most notable species that comes to mind is the shark - one the the main predators at the top of the food chain.
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You don't exactly expect mantis shrimps to be of particular danger to humans however, but tell that to fisherman and YouTuber Mr. Markus.
Filming his trip on the water some two years ago, the fisherman captured the moment a mantis shrimp attacked him and the dramatic aftermath it caused.
In the viral video, which has been viewed over 27 million times, Mr. Markus can be seen sitting in his boat, reeling in his line.
“There’s something on there. It seems little. Is it another shrimp? It is! No way,” he says as he pulls up the colorful shrimp from the water.
Cutting it free from the line, the shrimp flails around the boat before shockingly attacking the fisherman's foot.
“Ow, that really hurt,” the man says. “That thing just grabbed on to me and smashed my foot.”
The shrimp had even managed to punch through his boots.
“Supposedly the mantis shrimp has the most powerful punch in the animal kingdom,” the fisherman says while removing his boot to show the injury to his foot, which was dripping with blood.
“The power of the freaking mantis shrimp, oh my gosh,” he says in disbelief. “That did not feel good at all.”
The video was shared on YouTube and commenters couldn’t believe what they’d saw, with one person saying: “Holy s**t these guys are BADA**.”
Another wrote: “These shrimps are no joke, even if they miss their prey when 'punching', the shockwave is powerful enough to kill it. No need to say that handling them badly is a very bad idea.”
Others were more concerned about the fisherman leaving the shrimp lying on the boat, with one commenting: “Leaving the shrimp that just broke your skin through a boot laying right next to your nut sack doesn't seem like a very bright idea.”
While someone else remarked: “Ummmm keeping him there between your legs probably not the best idea.”
Mantis shrimp may be small, but they are incredibly powerful.
In fact, they 'pack the strongest punch of any creature in the animal kingdom' and according to Harvard University, their club-like claws can 'accelerate faster than a bullet out of a gun'.
Callum Jones