Upon the addition of the toxin, the fish reacted rapidly, with an increase in swimming speed. After 2 hr of incubation 10 fish larvae had died, with the remaining fish dying over the next 18 hr (at which point the experiment had ended)
So the addition of toxin was in fact impactful for the Zebrafish, increasing it's speed, but in the end became harmful when it killed nearly all of the Zebrafish. Is there a way to stop the decline of health after the toxin has been added?
Cnidarians – a group of animals that includes sea anemones, jellyfish and corals – have stinging cells on their tentacles that inject venom into the animals they touch.
I believe these stinging cells are called cnidocytes, which contain a harpoon structure inside called a nematocyst that fires off when they want to sting. (Little intro to marine)
Further, the results of this work suggest a much wider and dynamic venom landscape than initially appreciated in animals with a complex life cycle.
I love Cnidarians so I am very excited to read more into this topic, especially because it pertains to the venomous aspect of this anemone. (An interest of mine!)
sea anemone Nematostella vectensis suggests that venom is already expressed in eggs and larvae of this species.
Are there any benefits of venom being expressed in the eggs and larvae of this species early on? Does this trait happen in other sea anemone species or just the Nematostella vectensis?