The Stomatopod Dactyl Club: A Formidable Damage-Tolerant Biological Hammer

Hammering Home the Lesson Stomatopods are marine crustaceans that use hammerlike claws for defense and to attack their prey. The claws undergo repeated high-velocity and high-force impacts. Weaver et al. (p. 1275 ; see the Perspective by Tanner ) used a variety of techniques to examine the structure, mechanical behavior, and toughening mechanisms of the claw of the Peacock Mantis shrimp. The claw's composite structure is optimized for toughness, which helps to prevent the complete failure that might arise from the claw's repetitive hammering.