No.45 Peacock mantis shrimp

The Monohana Shako is a colorful member of the giant giant mantis family that lives on coral reefs in the southern seas. They are 10 to 18 cm in length and are also called “jewels of the sea” because of their beautiful red, blue, and green colors.
Their most distinctive feature is their “smasher” front legs, which crush hard objects like a punch. These legs have a spring-like structure and are launched with blinding speed to break crab and shellfish shells with a single blow.

The CT scan of this sample was conducted at the request of NHK Enterprises, Inc. as part of a project for NHK E-television's "Gyogyotto Sakana★Star.
Gigyokkotsu Sakana ★ Star" program HP: https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/P58QMGP4K1/

The CT scan showed that the foreleg area to be punched was nicely contained and the thickness of the shell was clearly thicker and stronger than other parts of the body.