Real
World Examples of Sonoluminescence
A rather interesting aspect of sonoluminescence is that it can be demonstrated by animals such as the mantis and pistol shrimps. These animals use their claws (which are shaped like small hammers) to break apart the shells of the snails they feed on. When doing this, the shrimp move so quickly that cavitation bubbles form and then collapse in a matter of tenths of a millisecond, causing sonoluminescence to occur.
Just like the phenomenon of sonoluminescence in general, the mechanisms at work that allow these shrimp to cause sonoluminescence is not clear. When striking their prey, mantis shrimp can generate forces up to 1500 Newtons. This should be impossible given the mantis shrimp's size and physiology, and the scientific community has been studying the shrimp to find out just how they do it ever since the ability was first documented.
Image Source: https://montereybayaquarium.tumblr.com/image/52384365014
