The heck is up with that shrimp!? It’s got a massive pink claw!

What’s also pink and big and somewhat SF related? Of course, the band behind The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd!

Researchers found this 5.5mm-long pistol shrimp off the coast of Panama and named it Synalpheus pinkfloydi. The scientists were fans of the band and found a perfect opportunity to do so. To understand an even more interesting fact, we must dive into the biology of the shrimp.

The hinge on the massive claw actually “cocks” just as the hammer on a gun does. When unsuspecting prey comes by, the claw snaps shut at such an immense speed that a sonic boom erupts and stuns the unfortunate fish. These booms are so powerful that it can mess up communication signals for scientific research underwater. Apparently this is similar to some Pink Floyd concerts that were so loud that nearby fish died in a pond. I have to admit that seems like kind of a stretch- wouldn’t that kill people too?

Anyhow, here’s yet another example of SF-inspired taxonomy. Invertebrates are cool!

URLs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synalpheus_pinkfloydi (info)

https://www.livescience.com/58664-shrimp-named-for-band-pink-floyd.html (info + image)