Imagine a world where being shy is a superpower. This is the reality for sea anemones, according to a recent study. Researchers have found that sea anemones with more introverted personalities, or those that withdraw in response to stress, are better at surviving heatwaves than their bolder counterparts.
The study found that bold anemones expend more energy during heatwaves, which can be dangerous if food is scarce. Shy anemones, on the other hand, conserve energy during heatwaves, which helps them survive.
This difference in personality may be due to variations in metabolism. Bold anemones may have a faster metabolism, which allows them to be more active but also burns more energy. Shy anemones may have a slower metabolism, which allows them to conserve energy during stressful times.
Unveiling the Mystery: The Science Behind Shy Anemones' Success (Photo : BORIS HORVAT/AFP via Getty Images)
A separate study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology sheds light on the physiological mechanisms behind this phenomenon.
The study tested the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis (POLS), which predicts that bolder animals should have lower stress responses and faster metabolic rates.
The researchers found that shy anemones actually had higher metabolic rates than bold anemones at cooler temperatures. However, bolder anemones had higher metabolic rates than shy anemones at warmer temperatures.
This suggests that the relationship between boldness and metabolism may be more complex than previously thought.
According to the study, these idividual variations in metabolic plasticity, or the ability to adjust metabolism in response to environmental changes, may be an important factor in explaining the relationship between boldness and survival.
Shy anemones may be better at adjusting their metabolism to conserve energy during heatwaves, while bolder anemones may be better at ramping up their metabolism when food is plentiful.
Bold anemones are those that exhibit a shorter immersion response time (IRT), meaning they take less time to re-extend their feeding tentacles.
Shy anemones are the opposite. At 13°C, shy anemones have the highest metabolic rates. However, this relationship is reversed at 21°C, where bold anemones have the highest metabolic rates.
The authors suggest this is because shy anemones may be supressing their metabolism at high temperatures. Bold anemones may be investing less in growth at lower temperatures and thus have a higher metabolic rate at 21°C.
Overall, the findings suggest that there is a complex relationship between boldness and metabolic rate that is affected by temperature.
These studies provide new insights into the complex relationship between personality and survival in sea anemones.
They suggest that shyness may be a beneficial trait in some environments, such as during heatwaves. These findings may also have implications for our understanding of personality in other animals, including humans.