Mnemiopsis leidyi apparently merge to survive after injury.

Researchers have made a remarkable discovery involving comb jellies called Mnemiopsis leidyi, a species of marine invertebrates. They found that after sustaining injuries, these creatures can fuse with another jelly to form a single organism.

The fusion process is surprisingly fast, and within a single night, two individuals merge their bodies, nervous systems, and digestive tracts into one functioning entity, scientists at University of Exeter, UK, and National Institutes of Natural Sciences in Okazaki, Japan, said in a joint statement.

More to read:
How do ice worms survive in glaciers?

The discovery, made by a team led by Kei Jokura, involved observing comb jellies – also known as Ctenophores – in seawater tanks. Initially, they noticed an unusually large jelly with two sensory organs and backends, prompting further investigation. To test whether fusion was responsible, the researchers intentionally removed parts of some jellies and placed them close to each other. In 90% of the cases, the jellies fused, surviving in this form for at least three weeks.

“Our findings suggest that ctenophores may lack a system for allorecognition, which is the ability to distinguish between self and others.

Additionally, the data imply that two separate individuals can rapidly merge their nervous systems and share action potentials,” Kei Jokura was quoted as saying.

More to read:
Scientists learned how parasitic worms highjack their hosts' free will

Detailed observations revealed that muscle contractions synchronized rapidly, with 95% of their movements in perfect sync after just two hours. Additionally, when one of the jelly's mouths was fed fluorescent shrimp, the food particles were shared through the fused digestive system, with waste expelled from both anuses.

The merger, particularly of nervous systems, has potential implications for regenerative medicine, as it could reveal new insights into tissue regeneration and immune system responses. While the full purpose of this fusion remains unclear, it could be an adaptive survival strategy.

This findings, published in Current Biology and ScienceDirect, shed light on how different organisms might utilize fusion as a survival mechanism and opens new avenues for research into regeneration and the nervous system's role in healing.

More to read:
Study shows tardigrade proteins slow down human metabolism

Depending on the species, adult ctenophores range from a few millimeters to 1.5 m (5 ft) in size. Only 186 living species are currently recognized. Their bodies consist of a mass of jelly, with a layer two cells thick on the outside, and another lining the internal cavity. Almost all ctenophores function as predators, taking prey ranging from microscopic larvae and rotifers to the adults of small crustaceans; the exceptions are juveniles of two species, which live as parasites on the salps on which adults of their species feed.

Despite their soft, gelatinous bodies, fossils believed to represent ctenophores revealed that the ctenophores had populated the seas since the early Cambrian period – that is about 525 million years ago.

***
NewsCafe relies in its reporting on research papers that need to be cracked down to average understanding. Some even need to be paid for. Help us pay for science reports to get more interesting stories. Use PayPal: office[at]rudeana.com or paypal.me/newscafeeu.