They transcend the poisonous jellyfish.
The primary diet of the larvae of decapod crayfish Ibacus are flowing down jellyfish, is well protected by cnidocyte, cells with microscopic sharp harpoons. In a matter of microseconds they pierce the enemy’s body and inject him with dangerous neurotoxins.
Still remained unclear how the lobsters are able to not only catch, but also safely digest a heavy, poisonous prey. Managed to find out that Japanese biologists from the team Mitei, Cameo (Michiya Kamio).
The scientists placed five larvae crayfish Ibacus novemdentatus in the aquarium and fed the Japanese flowing down jellyfish Chrysaora pacifica, analyzing the composition of their faeces. In them the authors found a holistic cnidocyte, as in “charged” and “discharged” state, immersed in penetrationsexy matrix is sufficiently dense mucus from proteins and polysaccharides which coats the food, making it easier to digest. Scientists suspect that it can mechanically isolate cnidocyte, not allowing the victim to inflict a toxic blow to the predator.
In fact, when the authors received the extract of the toxic content of cnidocytes and just injected it into the body of 10 lobsters, and nine of them died. This means that predatory crustaceans Ibacus no special physiological mechanisms of resistance to poison of jellyfish on which they feed. However, mechanical barrier, which forms a dense penetrationi matrix effectively protects them from dangerous toxins, allowing them to safely digest out the poison out of it to get unable – or able, but in the form of half-digested enzymes harmless form.
