First and foremost, I would like to take a moment to remember all of our soldiers who have fought and continue to fight for our Country. Let us never forget the sacrifices these soldiers and their families have made in order for us to be free. So, please make sure you take a moment to remember everyone that has fought for us! Thank you to all of our Veterans!
On with today’s Wild Fact! I thought I would stick with the sea creature theme that I started yesterday. We talked about the large but harmless blue whale in Wild Fact #943. Today we are going to look a substantially smaller creature but very dangerous to the organisms that make the mistake of touching it. So, let’s take a look at the deadly sea anemone! The sea anemone are relatives of coral and the jellyfish. They are usually nicely coloured and extremely poisonous. So, how does a creature that simply attaches itself to the ocean floor cause so much havoc for fish? If an unsuspecting fish swimming by a sea anemone triggers the highly sensitive tentacles then that fish will all of a sudden be having the worst day of their life (they will also be having the last day of their life). Even the slightest touch will trigger the sea anemone to fire off a harpoon-like filament into the body of the fish. This filament is filled with neuro-toxins that will paralyze the fish. Now that the fish is no longer moving the sea anemone is able to use the tentacles to direct the fish into its mouth and voila they have dinner! An interesting side note, the sea anemone only has a single opening to the outside environment. This means that the anemone’s mouth is also it’s anus, and they wonder why their food always tastes so bad.
So what lesson can you take from the last two Wild Facts? Well, how about, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. If you did then you would think that the blue whale would be the most dangerous animal on the planet while the beautiful sea anemone would be no more dangerous than a pretty daisy. Nature is mysterious and within that lies all kinds of intriguing discoveries. Are you starting to see why I love nature so much?
Don’t forget to take a moment and reflect on the soldiers who have so proudly fought for our Country!
They almost look like a dahlia. For a minute I thought you were changing your blog. Very interesting.
This is definitely not a flower that you would want to go and pick.
If I posted anything about a plant there would be some sort of link to animals in it. Although, I am fascinated with all areas of nature so maybe down the road I will include some other interesting facts about plants. They all share the same ecosystem and are linked to each other in one way or another.
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
Nathan,
Great post today (and everyday for that matter)! Also, I want to commend you on your tribute to Remembrance Day.
Aunt Linda
Glad you liked the post today! Talking about our soldiers whether they are past or present always sends a chill down my back. I have the all the respect in the world for the men and women that serve this Country! Canada would not be the same without these brave people. The least I can do is acknowledge them during my daily ramblings.
Have a good one!
The mouth is also the anus?
*Giggles*
hahaha!
That is about the same response that I had when I wrote that part in!
Thanks for stopping by!