Opossum Shrimp

Opossum shrimp (mysids) respond to predator cues by freezing - ceasing all movement to avoid triggering predator chase instincts. Many predators key on movement; a motionless prey item may be overlooked or mistaken for debris. The shrimp's transparency reinforces this defense - a motionless transparent object is nearly invisible. When the threat passes, the shrimp resumes normal activity.

This 'playing dead' strategy works against movement-tracking predators but fails against predators using other senses. Fish hunting by smell or electrical detection still find frozen mysids. The defense is specialized against visual predators that chase movement. Against other predator types, freezing may actually increase vulnerability by preventing escape. The optimal response depends on predator type - a challenge in environments with diverse threats.

For business, opossum shrimp represent low-profile defensive responses that work against attention-triggered competitors. When a market entry might draw incumbent response, a quiet launch (freezing) may avoid triggering competitive attack. But low-profile strategy only works against competitors monitoring movement. Competitors with strong market intelligence (hunting by smell) detect quiet entries regardless. The opossum shrimp insight is that defensive strategy must match attacker perception - freezing works against visual predators but not against smell-based hunters.