Ascidian Tadpole (2026)

After twelve hours of frantic swimming, Pip's brushed against a rough, granite ledge. His light-sensitive eye confirmed the spot was shaded, and his gravity sensor confirmed he had reached the bottom. With a final, decisive surge, he pressed his head against the stone and triggered the chemical "glue" that would bind him for life. the swimming larva and its metamorphosis - Nature

A "gravity-sensor" that pulled him toward the safety of the dark seafloor. ascidian tadpole

Pip did not eat. He had no mouth and no stomach. He was a living battery, powered only by the energy his mother had packed into his cells, and he knew—in the way a cluster of neurons can "know"—that time was running out. After twelve hours of frantic swimming, Pip's brushed

A "light-eye" that told him to swim away from the bright surface where predators lurked. the swimming larva and its metamorphosis - Nature