Music

A Shrimp Species Has Been Named After Pink Floyd Because It Yells Louder than a Rock Concert, Man

While you’ve been going about your shit everyday life this week, Oxford University zoologist Dr Sammy de Grave has realised a long-held, much cherished ambition. He has named a species of pistol shrimp after his favourite band, Pink Floyd.

According to the Telegraphde Grave has been waiting for some time to find the perfect species with which to honour the band who made the only album your dad ever plays in his shed down the garden when he’s argued with your mum (The Wall, obvs). He chose this particular shrimp to bestow the weighty namesake upon due to its particular characteristics: it has a claw that can produce sonic energy at up to 210 decibels, equivalent to a sound louder than a rock concert, and has therefore been given the scientific name Synalpheus pinkfloydi.

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Of the choice, de Grave said: “I have been listening to Floyd since The Wall was released in 1979, when I was 14 years old. I’ve seen them play live several times since, including the Hyde Park reunion gig for Live8 in 2005. The description of this new species of pistol shrimp was the perfect opportunity to finally give a nod to my favourite band.”

I would like to briefly draw your attention to how he calls Pink Floyd “Floyd”. Beautiful. 

Something very cool that I have learned from this is that scientists are just allowed to name species whatever the hell they want – upon closer investigation I have discovered that there’s a fossil called Carmenelectra shehuggme and a type of fungus beetle called Gelae donut, who knew? So, in what is obviously the next logical step, I am now patiently waiting for the day I finally get my own dog breed.

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