The Pistol Shrimp's Cavitation "Shot"
A pistol shrimp snaps its enlarged claw shut and shoots out a jet of water. The pressure drop creates a cavitation bubble; when it collapses, it produces a loud snap and a pressure pulse that can stun or kill prey. Experiments have also recorded a brief flash of light during collapse. The reported temperature above 5,000 K refers to the tiny bubble at the instant of collapse, not the surrounding water.
The “200 decibels” figure needs care: source-level estimates vary among shrimp species and studies, and underwater decibels are usually referenced to 1 μPa, whereas airborne levels use 20 μPa. Distance and the way a level is calculated also matter. Direct comparison with an aircraft in air is therefore misleading. Pistol shrimp make very loud underwater snaps, but source levels reported for sperm-whale echolocation clicks can be substantially higher.