Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 16
This mantis or boxer shrimp,
Odontodactylus scyllarus
, patrols the sea fl oor. The
shrimp's claws can move so quickly through the water that cavitation bubbles form in their
wake. As the bubbles collapse they generate fl ashes of light.
The incredible mollusks
The mollusks are the most diverse of this otherworldly zoo of creatures. We
are of course familiar with the clams, oysters, mussels, and squid featured
in all the world's great cuisines. These happen to be the mollusks that have
committed the evolutionary mistake of being delicious. But the mollusks are
far more diverse than restaurant menus would imply, and many mollusks are
not tasty at all. More importantly from an evolutionary viewpoint, many of
the mollusks have capabilities and lifestyles far beyond our reach—or at least
beyond the reach of everybody but a shape-shifting comic book superhero.
