Comb jellyfish can 'fuse' with a friend and become one creature after injury

In a captivating intersection of science and the oddities of nature, researchers have discovered that the comb jellyfish has an incredible ability to fuse with another individual after injury.

This species pushes the boundaries of what we understand about survival mechanisms, regeneration, and the very concept of individuality.

Comb jellyfish fuse for healing

We are all familiar with the concept of healing. A cut finger knits itself back together, while a broken bone grows new threads of cells that gradually mend the fracture. But this regeneration, scientists have found, can take a more startling form in the world of comb jellies.

Imagine two injured jellies, each struggling to recover on their own. But now, put them together and watch the magic. They begin to fuse, and before you know it, two entities have become one. The healing here is not just mutual – it’s shared.

This intriguing observation was made by Kei Jokura and his team at the University of Exeter. The researchers have found that the synchronization extends not only to muscle contractions but also to their digestive systems, enabling them to feed together.

Shocking discovery in the lab

It all started in a lab, with a population of comb jellies housed in a seawater tank. The researchers noticed that one unusually large jelly sported two sets of sensory apparatus where it should have had only one.

This odd sight led them to suspect that this individual might be a marvel of two injured jellies that had fused together.

To investigate, the team conducted an experiment where they removed partial lobes from individual comb jellies and placed them close together. In 9 out of 10 instances, the injured comb jellies fused into one entity, which lived for at least 3 weeks post fusion.

Rapid fusion of comb jellies

Interestingly, this fusion didn’t take months or weeks – it was a matter of just one night. The two original individuals became a single entity, with no apparent separation. When stimulated, the whole body reacted, indicating a complete fusion of their nervous systems as well.

“Resulting in a synchronized muscle contraction on the other side when mechanical stimulation is applied to one side of the fused ctenophore,” explained Jokura.

Detailed observations revealed that the newly fused comb jellies spent their first hour exploring spontaneous individual movements.

However, within two hours, their muscle contractions started to sync up. Astonishingly, 95% of the fused animal’s muscle contractions were completely synchronous.

Why do comb jellyfish fuse?

Even their digestive systems weren’t left out of this merger. When one of the fused entity’s mouths consumed labeled brine shrimp, both sections of the body processed and expelled the food, although not simultaneously.

Despite these fascinating observations, the reasons behind this fusion remain a mystery. How does becoming one serve as a survival strategy? With further research, the scientific community hopes to unravel this mystery and shed light on the deeper mechanisms at play.

“The allorecognition mechanisms are related to the immune system, and the fusion of nervous systems is closely linked to research on regeneration,” said Jokura. “Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying this fusion could advance these crucial research areas.”

Evolutionary implications of fusion

The phenomenon of fusion in comb jellies may hold profound evolutionary implications. Such intricate interactions could provide insights into how organisms negotiate individuality versus communal living, a balance pivotal to understanding multicellular life.

Theories suggest that this ability to merge may be a primitive evolutionary trait, which in certain environments could confer significant adaptive benefits, such as enhanced mobility or shared metabolic processes.

Further genetic studies may reveal whether this ability is conserved across other species, potentially unveiling a deep-rooted ancestral trait that challenges conventional views on organism development and identity.

Future of regenerative research

The potential applications of understanding comb jelly fusion extend into various scientific domains, ranging from regenerative medicine to robotics.

By uncovering the molecular and genetic factors that enable such seamless integrations, researchers hope to draw parallels that could enhance tissue engineering and wound healing processes.

The regenerative capacity displayed by comb jellies might inspire new methodologies for repairing or replacing human tissues. Furthermore, the robotics industry could design systems with autonomous repair capabilities, mimicking biological systems.

As the scientific community continues to probe these fascinating occurrences, collaborations across disciplines will be crucial to harnessing the full potential of these findings and translating them into tangible innovations.

Ultimately, this discovery opens up a world of potential implications for regenerative research.

The study is published in the journal Current Biology.

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