Dec 11, 2024
Uncharismatic Fact of the Day
Many animals have vastly different ways of dealing with predators; camoflague, threat displays, spines and shells. But perhaps none are so extreme as the sand dollar. When a sand dollar larvae (aka a pluteus) senses a predatory fish is in the area, it will split itself into two identical clones, each about 2/3 the size of the original! This process takes up to 24 hours, so it may not be as usual for immediate threats, but it can make the pluteus harder to spot, and give predators an extra target to aim for while they make a getaway.
(Image: An eccentric sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus) by Charlotte Seid)
