Nematocysts Firing

Microscopic video footage of jellyfish nematocysts firing. The video was created by the TASRU (Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit) of James Cook University. The video shows nematocysts along a section of tentacle from Carukia barnesi (Irukandji jellyfish) discharging after artificial stimulation. The image has been filmed through a microscope and is magnified about 400 times.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• jellyfish
• nematocysts
• siphonophores
• irukandji

[Scrod99]

IMMA FIRIN MAH NEMATOCYSTS BLAAAHH

[cooloriginaltwic]

Do NOT mess with Cnidaria!

[mahela1993]

@iCommenter66 I think it's the fasted known biological movement.

[heyeveryoneimcool]

Brutal.

[iCommenter66]

omg that shit is fast

[mattu2be]

Hey, any idea where was this taken from? This is really cool!

[subasurf]

nematocyst...the bane of my existence. I'm stung on a weekly basis by bloody jellyfish when I'm surfing.

Maybe I should cover myself in mucus...

[Kg277]

Chuck Norris' wife douches with these.

[lordennis01]

that is soooo cool

[Wolfboy183]

Nature's own firearms. Imagine if they had BIG nematocysts? That would suck

[Wolfboy183]

@MrZKoll the barbs shot out are nematocysts. They're pretty much like needle-containers. The cell containing the nematocyst is like a missile silo and the nematocyst is the missile. It's connected by a cable that retracts after firing. When the cell fires, it uses calcium ions to absorb water and create a lot of pressure. As the pressure builds, the hatch opens, and the nematocyst shoots out, and the cable it's hooked to uncoils.

[aronchai]

@Xaltus Yes.