A massive shrimp pulled from the ocean. (SOURCE: FWC)
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Have you ever been shocked to find something strange at the end of your line?
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Facebook, fisherman Steve Bargeron was fishing from a dock when he saw another fisherman pull a massive creature from the water.
The 18-inch, massive shrimp-like creature was reported to be striking its own tail as it was pulled from the waters in Fort Pierce.
Bargeron sent the photos to the FWC, who said that scientists think it is a mantis shrimp. Although scientists say it is not related to its shrimp namesake, and is actually a crustacean — a stomatopod.
Scientists will continue review the pictures to identify the exact species, according to WMBF.
The mantis shrimp is truly a fascinating animal and there are 400 species worldwide, according to the National Aquarium.
Engineers are fascinated by their composition, and are studying their design to improve military materials. A peacock mantis shrimp can punch with a speed equal to the gunshot from a .22 caliber bullet, according to the National Aquarium.
The Oatmeal illustration called “why the mantis shrimp is my new favorite animal” claims that if humans could accelerate their arms at just 1/10th of that speed, we could chuck a baseball into orbit.
Their lineage can be traced back 500 million years.
