>Cassiopea has no brain to speak of — just a diffuse “net” of nerve cells distributed across their small, squishy bodies. These jellyfish barely even behave like animals. Instead of mouths, they suck in food through pores in their tentacles. They also get energy via a symbiotic relationship with tiny photosynthetic organisms that live inside their cells. //
From a very cursory glance I can't see how they're differentiating low energy level from lack of "sleep" when they're keeping the jellies "awake". Can that behaviour (resting more the next day) just be explained by low energy reserves, and the jellies needing more time to glean energy from the photosynthesising organisms/cells?
Don't plants in winter "sleep" according to their definition; they can wake with a "false spring".
Unqualified anonymous internet answer: it's probably too busy.
I believe the brain actually shrinks slightly and channels expand to aid in the flushing.
Anectdata: note how when you're really tired you can't think clearly? Also, how (apparently) if one goes without sleep for too long then the brain suffers irreparable damage.
>Cassiopea has no brain to speak of — just a diffuse “net” of nerve cells distributed across their small, squishy bodies. These jellyfish barely even behave like animals. Instead of mouths, they suck in food through pores in their tentacles. They also get energy via a symbiotic relationship with tiny photosynthetic organisms that live inside their cells. //
From a very cursory glance I can't see how they're differentiating low energy level from lack of "sleep" when they're keeping the jellies "awake". Can that behaviour (resting more the next day) just be explained by low energy reserves, and the jellies needing more time to glean energy from the photosynthesising organisms/cells?
Don't plants in winter "sleep" according to their definition; they can wake with a "false spring".