Why do sea anemones wave tentacles?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Catching drifting prey
Communicating with neighbors — Wrong. Tentacle waving is for feeding, not communication. Anemones are mostly solitary and don't coordinate with neighbors.
Catching drifting prey ✓ — Correct! Sea anemone tentacles are covered with nematocysts—stinging cells that inject venom. They wave tentacles to maximize contact with drifting prey (fish, shrimp, plankton). When prey touches tentacles, thousands of nematocysts fire harpoon-like barbs, paralyzing it. Then tentacles pull the meal to the mouth. It's passive hunting!
Absorbing dissolved oxygen — Wrong. Tentacles don't absorb oxygen—that happens through the body surface and internally. Tentacles are for capturing food.
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