dactyl club

A study published on 6 February in Science1 reveals that the mantis shrimp’s punching limb — known as the dactyl club — has a multilayered structure that allows it to absorb the shock waves it generates when cracking the shells of molluscs or other crustaceans.

Mantis shrimp have the world’s fastest punch — here’s how their limbs survive Davide Castelvecchi 2025