Answer 3:
I know that at least some cnidarians do sting
each other. Sea anemones cling to rocks and sting
small fish and other prey. They can reproduce
asexually by splitting themselves in two,
producing clones. (They can also reproduce
sexually.) These clones never sting each other,
but they can have territorial clone wars with
other "families." The anemones on the outer edges
of these groups whack each other with their
tentacles and sting each other. Stinging has a
cost, because a nematocyst can only be used once.
It makes sense for some anemones to sacrifice
themselves because all the other individuals in
their clone will pass on their genes. Why do
you think they only reproduce by cloning some of
the time? Why not always clone them? Click Here to return to the search form.
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