Scientists have discovered a new species of shrimp that has a serious dark side—so much so that it’s been named after rock legends Pink Floyd.
According to the University of Oxford, the pistol (or snapping) shrimp—now known as Synalpheus pinkfloydi—generates an enormous sonic surge by closing its large pink claw rapidly. That produces one of the loudest sounds in the ocean—a din capable of stunning, or in some cases, killing smaller fish.
Unveiling the shrimp’s new moniker in the journal Zootaxa today, the scientist that rock fans can thank for it all is Dr. Sammy De Grave of the Oxford Museum of Natural History, a longtime fan of Pink Floyd, who’d been waiting to name a new species after the band. “I have been listening to Floyd since The Wall was released in 1979, when I was 14 years old,” he told the university. “I’ve seen them play live several times since, including the Hyde Park reunion gig for Live 8 in 2005. The description of this new species of pistol shrimp was the perfect opportunity to finally give a nod to my favorite band.”
This is actually the second known species of the pistol shrimp. A sister species was first discovered in the early 1900s.
Take a look at this similar species in action below.
—RealClearLife
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