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Moon Jellyfish
Scientific Name: Aurelia aurita
Description : Jelly fish are ancient creatures. Fossils have been found in rocks that are 650 million years old. Today there are more than 2000 species. Jelly fish are 95% water, 3% protein, and 1% mineral. There are two stages: an adult free swimming medusa and a sessile polyp. There is no backbone, brain, or heart. Adults drift with the currents, but can swim horizontally by pulsations of the bell to keep close to the surface. A primitive nerve net controls muscle contractions as it swims. The adult form is a transparent bell shape that ranges between 5-40 cm wide. Underneath is a central mouth surrounded by four oral arms that carry the stinging tentacles. From above four crescent shaped gonads surround the mouth. On the rim of the bell are eight sets of eye spots sensitive to light and eight statocysts that help orient jelly fish when swimming. Jelly fish are primitive organisms with an outer layer (ectoderm) that covers the external surface and an inner layer (endoderm) that lines the gut. Between these is a jelly layer or mesoglea. The simple digestive cavity acts as a gullet, stomach, and intestine. There is one opening between the oral arms that acts as a mouth, anus, and entrance for sperm (in females).
Distribution : Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans
Habitat : Shallow coastal waters as well as brackish waters with a salt content as low as 0.6%. Jelly fish can survive in water from -6C to 31C. The optimum temperature is 9C to 19C
Food : Jelly fish are carnivorous plankton. They feed on fish eggs and larval fish and other plankton such as mollusks, crustaceans, copepods, etc. Food collects on the mucus surface of the jelly fish. Flagellar action of the tentacles passes the food items to the margin of the bell and then up into the mouth and stomach.
Moon Jellyfish
Scientific Name: Aurelia aurita
Description : Jelly fish are ancient creatures. Fossils have been found in rocks that are 650 million years old. Today there are more than 2000 species. Jelly fish are 95% water, 3% protein, and 1% mineral. There are two stages: an adult free swimming medusa and a sessile polyp. There is no backbone, brain, or heart. Adults drift with the currents, but can swim horizontally by pulsations of the bell to keep close to the surface. A primitive nerve net controls muscle contractions as it swims. The adult form is a transparent bell shape that ranges between 5-40 cm wide. Underneath is a central mouth surrounded by four oral arms that carry the stinging tentacles. From above four crescent shaped gonads surround the mouth. On the rim of the bell are eight sets of eye spots sensitive to light and eight statocysts that help orient jelly fish when swimming. Jelly fish are primitive organisms with an outer layer (ectoderm) that covers the external surface and an inner layer (endoderm) that lines the gut. Between these is a jelly layer or mesoglea. The simple digestive cavity acts as a gullet, stomach, and intestine. There is one opening between the oral arms that acts as a mouth, anus, and entrance for sperm (in females).
Distribution : Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans
Habitat : Shallow coastal waters as well as brackish waters with a salt content as low as 0.6%. Jelly fish can survive in water from -6C to 31C. The optimum temperature is 9C to 19C
Food : Jelly fish are carnivorous plankton. They feed on fish eggs and larval fish and other plankton such as mollusks, crustaceans, copepods, etc. Food collects on the mucus surface of the jelly fish. Flagellar action of the tentacles passes the food items to the margin of the bell and then up into the mouth and stomach.