A fearsome predator underwater, mantis shrimp have eight pairs of legs. Three pairs are for walking, but five pairs have claws on the end of them for feeding.

J. Exp. Biol. 224, jeb235465.) Mantis shrimp wield a spring-loaded appendage that punches through water with explosive force — and their babies can start swinging just nine days after they hatch.

These weapons pack a powerful punch. Many mantis shrimp can fling their articulated arms out with the force of a .22-caliber rifle. Their strike has been known to break aquarium glass.

DURHAM, N.C. -- To a mantis shrimp, walking away from a fight doesn't mean being a wimp. It means recognizing who they're up against and knowing when to bail rather than drag out a doomed battle ...

There are almost 500 known species of mantis shrimp. However, they stay well concealed in their rocky and sandy burrows, and only a few scientists study them, so there are probably many new mantis ...