Why is the ctenophore a slime that dominates the Black Sea, and what kind of unique nervous system does it have?
Ctenophore is a jellyfish from the Atlantic coast of North America that is an invasive species in the Black Sea due to its strong predatory ability and rapid reproduction. It has not only had a huge impact on the Black Sea ecosystem, but has also attracted widespread attention in the field of biology.
It is a plankton with a body length of about 5-10 cm, with 8 transparent band-like tentacles, arranged in two rows, hence the name "ctenophore". They usually live on the surface of warm water, and because of their translucent body, they look beautiful in the sun, and are popular with diving enthusiasts.
However, ctenophore is also an animal with strong predatory ability, and its feeding mode is very special. The mouth of the ctenophore has two dent-like structures that can be quickly opened and closed to create a powerful stream of water that sucks in the surrounding plankton and then digests it through the digestive organs. This feeding method is so efficient that a ctenophore can devour plankton 10 times its body weight every day, making it a real killer.
It was first brought to the Black Sea by humans in the 80s of the 20th century, when some aquariums purchased ctenophores as exhibits, however, some escaped outside the pavilion and multiplied rapidly in the Black Sea. Due to the relatively poor stability of the Black Sea ecosystem, the emergence of a large number of ctenophores quickly led to ecosystem disorder, which seriously affected the fishery resources of the Black Sea.
Its nervous system is mainly composed of sensory neurons and motor neurons, and sensory neurons are mainly responsible for feeling the stimulation of the external environment, such as light, chemicals, temperature, etc., as well as detecting the metabolic state inside the ctenophore. They are located on the tentacles, mouth, and body walls of ctenophores and are connected to the motor neurons of ctenophores through synapses.
The sensory organs are distributed on the surface of the body of the ctenophore and can sense changes in the surrounding environment. The visual system of ctenophores consists mainly of a pair of large compound eyes, each with hundreds of visual receptors capable of sensing low light and movement. Ctenophores also have chemoreceptors that sense chemicals in the surrounding environment, in addition to gravity receptors and balance receptors, which sense the direction and position of the body.
Its neurons are connected by synapses, forming neural networks. This connection method is very flexible and can be quickly adapted to changes in the external environment. When a ctenophore encounters food or predators, the connections between neurons change to adapt to the new situation.
The movement of ctenophores is mainly controlled by two motor neurons, radiant neurons and ring muscle neurons, radiation neurons are responsible for controlling the vertical movement of ctenophore, and ring muscle neurons are responsible for controlling the horizontal movement and rotation of ctenophore. The feeding behavior of ctenophores is mainly controlled by oral neurons and oral neurons, which are responsible for regulating the feeding speed and digestive function of ctenophores.
Its nervous system is also unique in the way its neurons are connected. Unlike the way neurons are connected in other animals, the way neurons of ctenophores are connected is very flexible. The two can be accessed by synaptic connection and disconnection, and can adapt its body to the environment of the seabed, this connection can make the nervous system of the ctenophore more adaptable and viable.
The ctenophore's nervous system can sense a variety of external stimuli, including light, chemicals, temperature, gravity, and balance. This perception ability allows ctenophores to better perceive the distance of enemies and the trajectory of nearby creatures, resulting in higher survivability and competitiveness.
As a dominant creature in the Black Sea, its unique nervous system is one of the key factors in its high adaptability and survivability. The nervous system of ctenophore is relatively complete, flexible, malleable, and diverse in perception.
They reproduce rapidly in the Black Sea, because the feel and plasticity of the body and slimes are very similar, so many people call it the slime that occupies the Black Sea, and such occupation behavior is also very common in the natural environment, which can only show that there are too few natural enemies in the Black Sea, and people look at the "slime" full of oceans and suddenly scream.
These "slimes" not only occupied the Black Sea, but even the fish inside were avoided, which led to a decrease in the harvest of local fishermen, and even went to sea step by step "slime", for which neighboring countries have also thought of ways to deal with it, but to no avail.
For humans, the nervous system of ctenophores is also of great research value. People can better understand neuroscience and biological sciences by studying the nervous system of ctenophores. In addition, the nervous system of ctenophores can also provide inspiration for humans, promoting human development in areas such as artificial intelligence, so as to better simulate and apply the intelligence and adaptability of living things.
