The animal that holds the record for the world's most painful sting has no brain nor advanced behavior, yet "their visual system is anything but" according to ScienceDaily.
Jellyfish are simple life forms. They swim steadily, with pulses of their jelly bodies, pushing against water to traverse their watery realm. Some have short stingers trailing behind them, others have long threadlike ones that gather large quantities of prey at a time.
Recently, "researchers reporting online on April 28 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication" have discovered that of the 24 eyes on a box jellyfish, 4 of them are always peering up out of the water, regardless of the position of the organism. If that's not remarkable, consider the fact that these researchers discovered that chironex fleckeri uses these eyes to navigate its environment.
That's pretty impressive for a brainless animal.
What's more, it's been known by scientists for quite awhile now that these jellyfish have a remarkable set of eyes (24 of 4 different types), which respond to light and even aid them in avoiding obstacles.
That's not even the specifics of it:
"The researchers examined the function of one of two types of 'upper lens eyes,' already known to form images, to work out just what those eyes can see and how well. It turns out that those four eyes cover precisely the visual field needed to see through the water's surface up into the world above. The researchers calculated that the jellies should be able to detect the mangrove canopy from a distance of at least eight meters. Behavioral experiments of the jellies in the field supported those conclusions, revealing that the jellyfish can use those eyes to navigate based on their view of the canopy alone. When the canopy was obscured from view, they could no longer get around."
For marine and general biologists alike, this is a groundbreaking discovery. For a brainless animal to successfully use its eyes to form imagery is remarkable in itself.
Your fellow biologist, Ashley Marie
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