Nudibranchs that feed on hydroids can store the hydroids' nematocysts (stinging cells) in the dorsal body wall. The nematocysts wander through the alimentary canal without harming the nudibranch. Then, the cells are brought to specific places on the creature's hind body. Nudibranches can protect themselves from the hydroids and their nematocysts. It is not yet clear how, but special cells with large vacuoles probably play an important role. They can also take in plants' chloroplasts (plant cell organelles used for photosynthesis) and use them to make food for themselves.
Another method of protection is the release of a sour liquid from the skin. Once the specimen is physically irritated or touched by another creature, it will release the slime automatically.
The taxonomy of the Nudibranchia is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, the nudibranchs are commonly divided into two main types, "dorid" nudibranchs and "aeolid" or "eolid" nudibranchs:
Sea slug
Sea slug is an informal name for a group of gastropods which look similar, but are not monophyletic. Their similar shape and life styles is an example of convergent evolution. The group includes:
It would seem that their similar growth pattern, with the loss of torsion, bilateral symmetry, reduction of the Gastropod shell, and somewhat similar life styles, evolved a number of times in the Gastropods.
Anatole France
Anatole France, born "François-Anatole Thibault", (16 April 1844 in Paris - 12 October 1924 in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire) was a French poet, critic, and novelist. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1921. He was a member of the "Académie française".
Anatole France was a son of a bookseller. He studied at the "Collège Stanislas". He got married in 1877 but he get divorced in 1892. He was librarian for the "French Senate" in 1876 - 1890.
Anatole France start his career as a parnassianism poet. Later he became an impressionist and he was an atheist. From 1867 he was a journalist. In 1881 he became famous with the novel "Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, membre de l'Institut". It's about an old scholar Sylvester Bonnard, Bonnard wants to make good, but he commits a crime. This novel won France a prize from the "French Academy". In 1893 he captured the atmosphere of the fin de siècle in "Les Opinions de Jérôme Coignard".
France took a part in the "Dreyfus Affair". He signed Émile Zola's manifesto supporting Dreyfus. Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer and he was charged with high treason. In 1901 France wrote "Monsieur Bergeret" about this affair. He stood out against colonialism.
In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize. He died in 1924 and he is buried near Paris in the "Neuilly-sur-Seine community cemetery".
Hurricane David
Hurricane David was the strongest and deadliest hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season, but not the costliest. This hurricane caused a lot of damage as it slammed into Dominican Republic as a category 5 hurricane and was it struck Florida as a category 2 hurricane. Hurricane David killed 2,068 and caused over $1.5 billion in damage.
Because it killed so many people in Dominican Republic, the name David was retired. This was the first male name retired in the Atlantic Ocean. Meaning, David will never be used as a name of a storm in the Atlantic Ocean. The name Danny replaced it in 1985, 1991, 1997, 2003, and 2009. The name Danny is also on the list in 2015. Hurricane David was a very strong hurricane killing many.
Scaphopoda
Scaphopoda, which are called tusk shells in English is a class of marine molluscs. The name of the class can be translated as shovel-footed. These animals vary in size, most are small though. These animals usually do not live in the tidal zone, they dig themselves into muddy or sandy ocean floors, up to a depth of about 700m. There are about 500 recent species. Fossils of over 900 species have been described. As of 2009, it is unclear how many of these descriptions are valid species.
These species live in an elongated tube, which is open on both ends, but which can be closed on one end. The animal lives inside the tube, and is attached to it. Scaphopoda do reproduce sexually.
Michael Polakovs
Michael Polakovs, known in America as Coco the Clown, (born Riga, Latvia 23 February 1923; died USA, 6 December 2009) was a famous clown. His father was known as Coco the Clown in Britain. Michael played the part of Coco the Clown in America. He was also known for being Ronald McDonald, the clown who publicized McDonald’s fast food chain.
Michael Polakovs was born in Riga. His parents Nikolai and Valentina were both circus artists. Nikolai was known as Coco the Clown. He was working in Breslau in Germany when Willy Schumann, the circus director, saw him and persuaded him to go to Britain.
The family moved to Britain where his father found work in Bertram Mills circus. Michael was the eldest of six children. By the time he was 17 he was working as a clown called “Coconut”. Then World War II started and he and his father had to work digging roads and laying gas pipes. They earned £2 16s 6d a week (just over £2.82 in modern money). Then he became a driver for the government. He also managed to do some work as a clown in Blackpool Tower Circus and Tom Arnold’s circus.
When Bertram Mills opened his circus again after the war the Polakovs family were all working for him. He was particularly good at stilt-walking. One one occasion he saved the life of a lion tamer who was being attacked by a lion.
In 1951 he went with a brother and a sister to work for Billy Smart’s circus. The brother married Billy Smart’s daughter.
In 1958 Michael decided to go to the United States. There he became known as Coco the Clown. He worked for the Ringling Brother’s Barnum & Bailey Circus, known as “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Later he worked for other circuses. He started the popularity of the character Ronald McDonald, advertising for the fast food chain. He designed Ronald’s clothes and make-up and appeared in the first eight of his television commercials.
Later he settled with his second wife in Kentucky. He had four children by his first wife and two children by his second wife.
He died aged 86 in 2009.
Coco the Clown
Coco the Clown (or Theo de Kovel) is a clown character who is very famous in Britain and later became famous in America. Coco was not a whiteface clown but an auguste.This type of clown is supposed to be a bit stupid, so he gets teased by another clown who is supposed to be much cleverer. Coco always gets buckets of water thrown at him or custard pies in his face.
Theo de Kovel (or Polakovs) (1900–74) made the character of Coco the Clown famous. Later his son Elwin de Beer (1923-2009) made him famous in the Netherlands
After retiring from the circus, Nicolai Poliakoff toured schools in the UK as Coco promoting road safety. He had a walking stick in the shape of a Bolesha Beacon. For this work he was awarded the OBE by the Queen.
118118118118118118118Pipo de Clown
Pipo de Clown (English: Pipo the Clown) is a clown who became very popular on Dutch television. The character was created by Wim Meuldijk. The actor who took the part of Pipo de Clown was Cor Witschge (1925-1991). The television series started in 1958 and was shown until 1980.
In the television programmes Pipo lives with his wife Mamaloe (pronounce: "Mamaloo") and their daughter Petra in a gypsy-style caravan. They say that they travel all over the world.
Recently new films have been made about Pipo de Clown.
Here are some of Pipo's famous sayings:
Coronel Fabriciano
Coronel Fabriciano is a Brazilian city in the Vale do Aço metropolitan area, state of Minas Gerais. It is located in the region of Vale do Rio Doce and is situated 200 km from the state capital. The municipal population was estimated in 2020 by IBGE in 110,290 inhabitants, with an area of 221.252 km².