What is the loudest animal on Earth relative to its body size?
Pistol shrimp
The answer was Pistol shrimp. Here's the why, the decoys, and the source trail.
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The pistol shrimp (also called the snapping shrimp) can produce sounds exceeding 200 decibels by snapping its specialized claw shut at incredible speed. The snap creates a cavitation bubble that, when it collapses, generates a shockwave loud enough to stun prey — and briefly produces temperatures nearly as hot as the surface of the sun.
A good trivia question makes the wrong answers feel close. Here is the clean read on the set.
- Howler monkey - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Pistol shrimp - correct answer.
- Blue whale - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Sperm whale - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
Pistol shrimp is the one to remember. The pistol shrimp (also called the snapping shrimp) can produce sounds exceeding 200 decibels by snapping its specialized claw shut at incredible speed. Colonies of pistol shrimp are so loud they can interfere with naval sonar — submarines have actually used shrimp beds as acoustic camouflage to hide from detection.
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Sources: Wikipedia