The technology of the powerful forces of Nature involved in the Pistol Shrimp's hunting techniques, provide us with the knowledge and ability to comprehend the compressed air equalizer self-refilling air tank.
Among the fascinating creatures of the deep is a finger-size shrimp with an oversize claw — resembling a boxing glove — that it uses to stun its prey by snapping the claw shut. The snapping claw produces a sharp cracking sound as seawater is accelerated to velocities causing inertial cavitation, (a process where a void or bubble in a liquid rapidly collapses), producing a shock wave. Such cavitation often occurs in pumps, piping, propellers, impellers, and in the vascular tissues of plants. (And as seen in the video, by the pistol shrimp claw).
Inertial cavitation takes place when a vacuum "bubble" is created, subsequently setting in motion Nature's forces to fill the created vacuum.
actions involved when "Pistol Shrimp claw-created" inertial
cavitation takes place within 300 microseconds --
When colonies of the shrimp snap their claws, the cacophony is so intense that submarines can take advantage of it to hide from sonar.
A team of European scientists revealed that the bubble emits not
only sound but a flash of light — indicating the extreme temperature
and pressure created inside the bubbles.
Pistol Shrimp flv URL:
See National Geographic News article "Snapping Shrimp Stun Prey
with Flashy Bang," October 3, 2001.