We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

Why Would a Shrimp Species Be Named after Pink Floyd?

Published: Mar 02, 2020
Views: 1,069
Share

In 1971, during the haze of early 1970s counter-culture, some fans of the rock band Pink Floyd were blown away after a concert at London’s Crystal Palace, convinced that the show's high-decibel climax had killed all the fish in a nearby lake. That story was apocryphal, and so is the notion that a new species of pistol shrimp -- dubbed Synalpheus pinkfloydi -- got its name because of that urban myth. In reality, the shrimp was named after Pink Floyd because it has a massive pink claw. Very appropriately, it is capable of rapidly opening and closing that claw, creating an incredibly loud snapping sound that can reach 210 decibels, louder than a typical rock concert. The sonic energy is powerful enough to stun or even kill small fish unlucky enough to be nearby, which the crustacean then feeds on..

We don't need no thought control:

  • It turns out that the myth about that Pink Floyd show is easily explainable. In the finale, a fifty-foot inflatable octopus soared overhead. It wasn’t the decibel level that killed the fish, but the dry ice and flares used to create an eerie glow.
  • Pink Floyd was an unusual name for a band, like others of the era. As the story goes, when the British band hit America’s shores, an unenlightened reporter asked, “Which one of you is Pink?”
  • The same irreverent Oxford University Museum of Natural History researchers who gave Synalpheus pinkfloydi its name also gave another species of shrimp the name Elephantis jaggerai, after the Rolling Stones frontman.
Share

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/why-would-a-shrimp-species-be-named-after-pink-floyd.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.