Poison Pill

Biological Parallel

Sea cucumbers deploy the ultimate poison pill defense: when grabbed by predators, they expel their internal organs, making themselves simultaneously worthless (no meat left to eat) and toxic (expelled organs contain holothurin toxins). The predator releases them, and the cucumber regenerates organs over weeks. This 'scorched earth' defense mirrors corporate poison pills—making the target so expensive and complicated to acquire that hostile bidders withdraw. Both strategies work because they credibly threaten to destroy value rather than let it be taken, though both also risk genuine self-harm if the threat must be executed.