Mantis shrimp inspires next generation of ultra-strong materials

Researchers are one step closer to developing super strong composite materials, thanks to the mantis shrimp, a small, multicolored marine crustacean that crushes the shells of its prey using a fist-like appendage called a dactyl club. Their latest research describes for the first time a unique herringbone structure, not previously reported in nature, within the appendage’s outer layer.