Immune System Protects From Toxin

a close up of a school of silver fish with a yellow stripe swim underwater

Biological Strategy

Atlantic horse mackerel

AskNature Team

Image: MonogatariFOTO / Shutterstock / Some rights reserved

Protect From Chemicals

Chemicals are everywhere in the bodies of living organisms and their external environments. While most chemicals are valuable or benign, some are toxic, including those used for defense (such as the mucus that protects clownfish from an anemone’s stinging tentacles). Even naturally-occurring chemicals, such as arsenic, must be managed to reduce their impact. Some living systems have strategies to break down harmful chemicals, alter them into less toxic forms, physically prevent chemicals from harming sensitive tissues, and more. For example, some herbivorous mammals can digest toxic compounds in plants because they have a particular enzyme that helps them process poisonous plant compounds.

Search this Function

Fish

Class Agnatha (“without jaws”), Class Chondrichthyes (“cartilage fish”), Superclass Osteichthyes (“bone fish”): Sharks, eels, snapper, hagfish

The fish are a diverse group, comprising multiple classes within Phylum Animalia. The most well-known classes are Chondrichthyes, which has sharks and rays, and superclass Osteichthyes, which has all bony fish like cod and tuna. Unlike other vertebrates, fish only live in water. They use special adaptations like fins, gills, and swim bladders to survive. Most are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends on the water temperature around them. Over half of all vertebrates are fish. They’re found from the bottom of the sea to high mountain lakes.

Search this Living System

The immune system of the horse mackerel allows it to hide among the tentacles of the man-of-war via toxin immunity.

“A small species of blue-and-white fish called the horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) spends a lot of time swimming among the man-of-war’s tentacles, without suffering any ill effects, because it can withstand ten times the dose of venom that would kill other fishes of the same size. Therefore it is effectively protected from the attention of any would-be predators.” (Shuker 2001:164)

Last Updated August 18, 2016

References

Book

The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature

Marshall Editions Ltd. | 26/02/2021 | Dr. Karl P. N. Shuker

embedly preview

AskNature