Mantis shrimp rumbles

What is it about?

The California mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla californiensis) lives in muddy burrows among the kelp forests of southern California. This species produces a low-frequency “rumble” through vibrations of muscles under the carapace. We found that rumbles were produced in rhythmic sets, with peak activity during dawn and dusk. During certain recording periods, rumbles of differing frequency and temporal patterns were audible, suggesting that different individuals produce distinct sounds.

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Why is it important?

We demonstrate that burrow-dwelling shrimp have a complex acoustic repetoire and that different individuals are capable of producing distinct sounds. We also observed that boat noise is frequent in their habitat, suggesting that these animals are subjected to acoustic masking, which may affect their ability to communicate.