Walnut of Youth | Light Trap | Stress Glow

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Three animal stories connected by stress and glowing in the dark. Never thought I’d relate to an anemone! 😅 

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Walnut of Youth

Sea walnuts can age in reverse. Also known as Mnemiopsis leidyi, the comb jellyfish revert to a larval stage under stress.

• Shrink and revive when stressed

• Born-again walnuts grow larval tentacles to catch food

• Retain cellular identity throughout age-traversal

This is likely how M. leidyi survived stowing away in ships to become an invasive species in parts of Europe and Asia. Sea walnuts join immortal jellyfish and a tapeworm species on the short list of known age-travelling organisms. “Benjamin Button” of the sea.

Back when I was older

Light Trap

Spiders have hacked firefly morse code. Orb-weaving spiders capitalize on firefly mating pulse-flashes to lure in meals.

• Males = multi-pulse, females = single pulse

• Enwebbed males are kept alive and bitten

• Triggering single-pulse flashes, attracting more males

Further research will determine how the spiders manipulate flash patterns and possibly uncover other forms of mimicry as a hunting tool in nature. Blink twice if you’re all the small things.

-... .-.. .. -. -.- / .---- ---.. ..---

Stress Glow

Glowing in the dark may be good for stress. Marine biologists linked surviving environmental stress with intertidal anemone’s AnthoYFP.

• AnthoYFP = biofluorescence protein

• Enables antioxidant properties

• Detoxifies dangerous chemicals created by stressors

Brighter anemones have more AnthoYFP to handle the drastically changing environment of intertidal zones. Learning the benefits of bioluminsecense will help us foster healthier (and brighter) ocean ecosystems. Ready for a glow up!

Oceanic night lights

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Unnatural Selection

Last week: “Which would you rather be?”

Striped mohawk + “z” + being played by Chris Rock in Madagascar = overwhelming success!

st3v on site

Bio-Lumistressless

Studying intertidal anemones taught st3v to channel his luminescence during times of stress. Things have been pretty relaxed ever since!

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