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| | In the sea slug's defense against lobsters, confusion is key |
 | | Like many other marine creatures, Aplysia, a common sea slug, enlists chemical defenses against its predators, but the mechanisms by which such chemical attacks actually work against their intended targets are not well understood by researchers. |
 | | Ironically, the slug's ability to trick the lobster's nervous system into activating feeding-associated behaviors succeeds, in combination with ink and opaline's other effects, in distracting the lobster sufficiently to enable the slug's successful evasion. |
 | | Because the set of behaviors stimulated by the slug's secretions resemble activation of a feeding pathway, the researchers named this novel chemical defense "phagomimicry." The stickiness of the slug's secretions appears to contribute to long-lasting effects on the target despite the aqueous environment, enhancing the effectiveness of the slug's defense. |
| www.biologynews.net /archives/2005/03/29/in_the_sea_slugs_defense_against_lobsters_confusion_is_key.html (641 words) |
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