佳作 佳作
海扁蟲享用海鞘大餐
Marine Flatworms Feast on Sea Squirts
作者 | 彭源錡
#水下與海洋
科學圖說 Introduction
海鞘雖成天黏在底質上不動,其實牠是脊索動物門的動物。以過濾浮游生物和有機碎屑維生。海扁蟲攝食海鞘,伸出分枝狀的口咽,分泌消化酵素原地分解獵物的組織,再將之攝入體內,並可將獵物的毒素累積在自身體內,作為防禦天敵的化學武器。
Sea squirts attach themselves to the substrate and are sedentary members of the phylum Chordata. They forage by filtering plankton and organic particles. Marine flatworms prey on sea squirts, by extruding their pharynx and secreting enzymes to decompose their prey’s tissues and drink the nutrients. Moreover, they accumulate toxins from their prey as a chemical weapon against predators.