by Edd Gent, Live Science Contributor | September 23, 2015 10:04am ET
When you're one of nature's greatest pound-for-pound punchers, getting into a dispute over territory or mates can quickly turn ugly.
Mantis shrimp are notorious for their clublike front limbs, which they use to kill prey. These fearsome appendages are capable of the world's fastest limb movement and have even been known to break through aquarium glass with a single strike.
To avoid turning these formidable weapons against their own species, the crustaceans have developed a form of ritualized combat that lets individuals compete without bludgeoning each other to death, a new study suggests.
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