You might think that man is infinitely superior to shrimp, but what if I told you these tasty crustaceans are cooler than your average hors d'oeuvres? In fact, the Mantis Shrimp is about 5 ½ times cooler than we are! They say that seeing is believing, but what if we can’t SEE the proof? The evidence is actually all in the waves….the wavelengths, that is.

Wavelengths are important to the perception of sound, heat, and also in light. The colors that we see are the result of the lengths of wavelengths of light. To receive certain wavelengths, we use parts of our eye that are called rods and cones. Our rods and cones- the photoreceptors that help us to receives and process images- allow us to see red, green, and blue. Every other color that we see in our rainbow is a mixture of these three colors.

We tend to think that what we can see is all that there is. It seems as though only philosophers think about things beyond our perception- the metaphysics of it all. But refusing to believe that our scope of vision is all there is would prove to be small-minded. Our iridescent friend, the Mantis Shrimp, has a kaleidoscopic vision of colors that extend far beyond the human capacity of perception.

Scientists have found that Mantis Shrimp, have exactly 16 rods and cones. It's hard to deny such a precise statistic! As unbelievable as it may seem, Mantis Shrimp see many more wavelengths than we do. In essence, they are privy to an incalculable number of additional colors that remain unimaginable to the human eye.

Formally known as Stomatopods, Mantis Shrimp continue to fascinate scientists with their more formidable capabilities. Possibly even more impressive than their external and internal beauty are their killer instincts. Although it is hard to believe, given their dignified qualities, the Mantis Shrimp is actually a very lethal creature. This incredible species possesses claws that strike at the same rate as a .22 caliber rifle and can release shockwaves that will kill any prey in its path. Needless to say, you do not want to mess with our colorful friends!

With our limited vision, we see the Mantis Shrimp as beautiful, majestic, prismatic, and dangerous, but their true colors remain a mystery to us. However, I hope that with his knowledge we can transcend our narrow lense and view our cocktails in a new, well-deserved light.