Again, if you are searching on the Internet for information on these topics, you have to be selective in your searches. If you do a search on “sponge weapons” you get links to the sponge grenade with is a non-lethal weapon designed for crowd control or to disable a particular individual. And if you search for “porifera weapon”, you get references to a wide variety of layered bows that are used in the game Monster Hunt.

Also, I apologize in advance for not being able to provide any images of my own for this discussion. I have never had the opportunity to photograph any of these wonderful creatures myself, something which I regret, but my microscopes wouldn’t fit in the dingy.

Many people think that sponges just sit on the bottom of the ocean somewhere and don’t do much of anything except, perhaps, provide some comfort in the bath. However, now virtually all bath, kitchen, and cleaning sponges are synthetic. Those with a bit more experience might know that a lot of sponges have either calcareous or siliceous spicules which do act as a defense against some predators who might like to chow down on them. However, the question of weapons in sponges might seem silly. As it turns out, sponges have an amazing chemical arsenal as some extensive research projects have revealed. A range of toxins have been discovered which are thought to smell or taste bad to many would-be predators. A very large bonus from these research projects is the discovery that many of these biochemicals can act as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and even anti-cancer agents.

What a shame that we can’t be spending money on expanding and accelerating such research rather than on weaponry, such as, the Gerald Ford Air Craft Carrier at a cost of over $13 billion or the B-2 Spirit warplane at a cost of $2 billion each! Think what human suffering might be alleviated or eliminated for the cost of an aircraft carrier and a few warplanes. Instead, we spend these colossal sums on devices that inflict suffering and destruction on humans.

Sponges, primitive as they are, possess what are called “archeocytes” and are sometimes described as “omnipotent cells” which can transmute in such a way as to become any type of cell in the sponge. This is parallel to the way that human stem cells function.

You can get a sense for the enormous variety and splendid range of color and form in sponges in the images in this link to Google.

Another group of marvels are the Ctenophores or Comb Jellies. These are remarkable for their long tentacles which are bioluminescent and can put on an extraordinary light show. The tentacles possess colloblasts which are adhesive cells that are like a very sticky glue and can aid in prey capture. I’ll provide a Google link to some images of Ctenophores and another to a short video which I think you will enjoy.

And here’s the link to a video:

Corals and Jellyfish comprise an enormous number of types, morphologies, and inhabit a wide range of habitats. I can only mention a few prominent and striking examples here for your delectation.

Let’s begin with one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet; namely Chironex or the box jellyfish, also known as, the sea wasp. These belong to the class Cubozoa and have a roughly cube shape. They are found mostly in the Indo-Pacific region, but have been found as far north as California, as well as Japan, and South Africa–so they have quite wide range of distribution and are, if you like to enter the ocean, creatures well worth knowing about and scrupulously avoiding. Its venom is among the deadliest of all organisms and can be fatal to humans in under five minutes. One specimen has enough venom to kill over fifty human beings to this is not a critter to be trifled with. The tentacles, which can be ten feet long, are loaded with cnidoblasts or stinging cells and an encounter can produce thousands of stings. If one survives, nasty scars are likely. Here’s an image of one.

Another nasty jellyfish, not generally as dangerous but, nonetheless, can produce extremely unpleasant encounters, is Physalia or the “Portuguese Man-O-War”. The nematocysts (stinging cells” in their tentacles are capable of paralyzing small fish. This organism is a complex colony of organisms which function cooperatively to maintain its integration. Its morphology is complex and fascinating. The nematocysts remain potent even after being separated from the colony and dried, for example, on the walls of an aquarium. People cleaning aquaria containing bits of the tentacles on the glass walls have gotten some highly unpleasant surprises, not suspecting that the stinging cells are still functional. The stings can cause severe pain and leave dermal welts. If the venom gets into the lymph nodes it can cause severe breathing problems and even heart function irregularities. This organism is no minor player in causing human distress and it’s estimated that as many as 10,000 people suffer stings in Australia alone. The appearance of the animal is distinctive and quite lovely from a proper distance. Here is a link to Google that provides you a variety of images.

An impressive denizen of Arctic and upper Pacific and Atlantic Oceans is the “Lion’s Mane”. The record size recorded was in the 19^th Century and was over 7 feet in diameter! and possessed tentacles measuring over 120 feet in length. It has 8 clusters of tentacles arranged around the outer part of the bell numbering up to 1,000 and another 1,000 or more circling the mouth area. A few stings from the stinging cells can be quite uncomfortable for humans, but not a great danger. However, a swimmer who is unlucky enough to get into the main cluster of tentacles and get stung should seek medical help immediately. However, fatalities are extremely rare. This is an impressive creature in large part because of its extraordinary size. Here’s a link to some images on Google.

And finally, there are “fire corals” which divers in tropical and subtropical areas are almost all aware of. Brushing against them causes them to release the nematocysts that can cause a moderate burning sensation which is highly unpleasant when one is underwater. Treatment, as with many types of stings, is usually done with the application of vinegar or other acidic liquids which prevent the discharge of further nematocysts. Again, a page of images, so that the next time you’re diving, you know what to avoid brushing up against.

I do very much wish that I had been able to provide images which I myself had taken for this segment of discussing invertebrate weapons as I would have enjoyed encountering such beasties–carefully of course.

The next segment will deal with worm-like organisms and true worms and again, unfortunately, I will be dependent upon external sources for images. However, when we get to insects, I think I can provide some good pictures.

All comments to the author Richard Howey are welcomed.

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