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Author Topic: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain  (Read 1406 times)

Senn Typhos

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I was watching a special entitled "Predators of the Deep" on Underwater Universe.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

We all know they're a deadly thing; venom enough to kill a human being in three minutes, delivered by reverse-fire needles in their tentacles, puncturing its prey with the force of a .45 bullet in a millisecond. They can grow to six feet, their tentacles drag for the majority of that length, and they're practically invisible in the right conditions.

But here's the part I didn't know.

Box jellyfish, unlike any other species of jellyfish, have 24 eyes - not photosensitive patches of skin, but eyes complete with lenses, retinas, corneas. They are also unique from almost all jellyfish species in that they can move on their own, rather than being slaves to ocean currents. For that matter, they seem to be able to determine where to drift in order to capture prey, not by instinct, but premeditation.

Now the "duh" moment; a box jellyfish doesn't have a brain.

Like I always say, I ain't no scientist. That being said, to operate a system of ambulation, premeditated attacks and 12 times the number of eyes a human has, with no higher functional system, is pretty amazing to me.

The more you know. :D
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Vikarion

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #1 on: 14 Mar 2011, 00:17 »

A brain is merely a centralized nervous system. Technically, one could have nervous connections spread out around the body, it's just less efficient. And, in a mammal, such an arrangement would be much more vulnerable.
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Vincent Pryce

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #2 on: 14 Mar 2011, 00:43 »

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Lyn Farel

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #3 on: 14 Mar 2011, 05:06 »

Take octopuses for example, they have a brain, but it looks like their cognitive abilities are not all located in the brain itself, but spreaded on some other parts of their body (tentacles).

Can't remember more, I should look back for the source.
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Valdezi

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #4 on: 14 Mar 2011, 05:53 »

You can't swim for six months of the year in North Queensland because of these bad boys.

They suck.
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Senn Typhos

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #5 on: 14 Mar 2011, 08:33 »



Check's in the mail, Vincent. <3
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DosTuMai

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Re: Box Jellyfish; Proving You Don't Need Your Brain
« Reply #6 on: 16 Mar 2011, 13:08 »

It's been theorised that some 'brainless' creatures use muscle memory as the higher and cognitive function.
I can see it now; Mr. Universe teaching his biceps physics...
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