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Neuron

Anemones have special cells that shoot stinging barbs for protection or to hunt prey – decisions about when to release them and where to aim is based on the activity of calcium ion channels similar to

Anemones have special cells that shoot stinging barbs for protection or to hunt prey – decisions about when to release them and where to aim is based on the activity of calcium ion channels similar to those in human neurons

By Sofia Quaglia

3 August 2023

The predatory starlet sea anemone

Nature Photographers Ltd/Alamy

A special protein allows anemones to choose when and who to sting. Understanding it guides stinging decisions shows how even the tiniest, subtle adaptations can drastically change an organism’s behaviour.

Anemones sting by shooting out venom-covered barbs called nematocysts, which can grow to 20 to 50 times their original size and travel at the speed of a fired bullet, says Nicholas Bellono at Harvard University.

“It’s one of the fastest events in biology,” says Bellono. “It’s very explosive.”

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