Research on Claw Motion Characteristics and Cavitation Bubbles of Snapping Shrimp

Snapping shrimp produces a high-speed jet through the rapid closure of the snapper claw, which stimulates the formation of cavitation bubbles of various shapes. In order to explore the fast motion characteristics of snapper claw, the formation and change process of cavitation, and the physical principles underlying the biological phenomena, the equivalent model of snapper claw was constructed through CT scanning technology. A high-speed camera was used to capture the claw’s motion characteristics, thereby simulating the production of cavitation bubbles by snapping shrimp. The results show that the rotation speeds of different species of snapping shrimps are different, as well as their motion characteristics. Cavitation is formed by the interaction of the pressure drop caused by the vortex at the nozzle with the inertia of the liquid inside the socket. Under the influence of the jet, the shapes of bubbles change from ring to cone, and eventually collapse into bubble clouds.