This species of comb jelly has taken the act of lying about your age to the next level. The Atlantic Jelly Comb, or Sea Walnut, can transfer from a mature adult back into larval form. This transformation is not just for fun but serves a great purpose for them in times of need.
Glowing Walnuts Of The Sea
Found in the Black Sea, in 1982, the Sea Walnut is a type of comb jelly. Did jellyfish come straight to your mind? Although they are related, they are more like very distant, estranged cousins. Their jelly bodies are shaped differently, accommodating their different lifestyles. Unlike jellyfish, comb jellies don’t have those evil tentacles. I can tell you from experience, they are painful! Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish? Reply in the comments.
To Eat Or Not To Eat
This carnivorous creature eats organisms such as zooplankton, larvae, and juvenile fish (oh, and their own young). When they are unable to find food or are hurt and cannot catch food, they will reverse their age back to a larval. By doing this they can regrow their tentacles, which the mature adult sea walnut does not have. Image being too lazy to go to the fridge, but instead of aging backward, our arms grow longer.
If In Doubt Bring Baby Out
Do you ever look at babies and miss when life was that simple? Well, the Sea Walnut makes that dream come true. When feeling stressed out or threatened they can reverse back to being a juvenile until they feel it is safe to be a mature adult again. When growing back to their adult size, their childhood tentacles shrink until they are pretty much useless.
Catching A Ride For Migration
This transformation helped scientists understand more about these incredible creatures. These walnuts are now an invasive species in both Europe and Asia. How did they get there you ask? Hitch hiking. Yup, they would grab a ride on the ballast tanks of ships. By doing this they can survive in various oceans around the globe.
Survival Of The Foodless
These body-warping blobs managed to survive weeks in the ballast water beneath the boats. Scientists have reviewed that they managed to do this by once again reversing their age. Adult sea walnuts need a lot of food in order to stay big and wobbly. By changing back into their younger selves they are able to survive with less food and withstand harsher conditions.
Reverse Or Regenerate
Scientists are debating the true process of this change. Some say that these jellies do indeed reverse their form, going back to their larval or juvenile form. Others say that it is simply a process of regenerating various parts of themselves. If these creatures were indeed reversing their cycle, scientifically there would be a change in the amount of cilia on the mature adult comb plates. Some scientists say this is shown and others say it is not. What are your thoughts? Do they reverse or regenerate? Reply in the comments.
Enlightening Evolution Studies
This, supposedly, newfound phenomenon causes scientists to wonder how many other creatures can do this. Perhaps this is how multiple animals have been able to adapt and survive over thousands of years. They have evolved and found ways to keep themselves alive. There is so much unknown to us and this is probably for the best. Our track record for looking after the world around us isn’t great. The world holds so many incredible creatures, such as the Sea Walnut. There is magic and knowledge that they may never share with us and maybe we don’t deserve to know it all.
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