A primary school science teacher decided to liven up the classroom with a saltwater aquarium. Knowing that saltwater aquaria can be quite a hassle, the teacher proceeded stepwise. First, the teacher conditioned the water. Next, the teacher decided to stock the tank with various marine invertebrates, including a polychaete, a siliceous sponge, several bivalves, a shrimp, several sea anemones of different types, a colonial hydra, a few coral species, an ectoproct, a sea star, and several herbivorous gastropod varieties. Lastly, she added some vertebrates-a parrot fish and a clown fish. She arranged for daily feedings of copepods and feeder fish.
-One day, Tommy, a student in an under-supervised class of 40 Year 5 students, got the urge to pet Nemo (the clown fish), who was swimming among the waving petals of a pretty underwater "flower" that had a big hole in the midst of the petals. Tommy giggled upon finding that these petals felt sticky. A few hours later, Tommy was in the nurse's office with nausea and cramps. Microscopic examination of his fingers would probably have revealed the presence of ________.
A) teeth marks
B) spines
C) spicules
D) nematocysts

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of nematocysts on Tommy's fingers suggests that he was stung by one of the sea anemones, which are equipped with these stinging cells.

A Primary School Science Teacher Decided to Liven Up the Classroom