Anemones With Personality

geograph.org.uk

This simple creature is an anemone.

Actinia equina, the beadlet anemone, to be more precise.

Anchored firmly to it's home somewhere along the rocky shoreline of the United Kingdom, this delicate cnidarian looks no different from the other A. equina it shares the sea with.

But it is different, indeed. Its different because it has it's own personality.

advancedaquarist.com

Recently, scientists tested beadlet anemones along the coastline by startling them with jets of water and seeing how long they stayed contracted before unfurling their coils to resume feeding. Response time varied between individuals, but the individuals themselves were very consistent in their response times.

I realize that might not sound very interesting, but I feel every bit of insight we can gain concerning the minds of our fellow species is priceless.

suedalyproductions.com

And remember, this is a creature with a very primitive nervous system. If such a simple creature is capable of this level of neurological complexity, imagine what the more complex lifeforms are capable of.

Truly, we live in a time of great discovery. There is really no telling what wonders lay out there in the minds of our fellow species, just waiting to be uncovered.