7. The Sea Squirt – Disembowelment
via realmonstrosities.com
Possums, snakes and even some fish play dead when attacked. The sea squirt takes things a step further; instead of simply playing dead, the squirt violently “commits suicide.”
When jostled or threatened, squirts rupture their filtering organ, and push out their stomach and guts. After “disemboweling” itself and leaving a mass of organs just floating, it also contracts itself so that it looks dead and shriveled. Since most predators avoid dead animals, it’s often abandoned.
The crafty squirt stays in this “dead” state for up to five days, while it slowly regenerates its internal organs. After about ten days, its filtering siphon is healed and all organs are back in place.
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