Tag Archive: jellyfishes


1-3-18 South American Sea Nettle from Ron’s Marine Series

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
January 3, 2018

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria Scyphozoa
Class: Scyphozoa
Subclass: Discomedusae
Order: Semaeostomeae
Family: Pelagiidae

Genus/species: Chrysaora plocamia

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Sometimes huge, diameter reported to max.of 1 m (3ft), oral arms up to. 5 m (15+ft)  or more, but in many populations reported smaller, more typically to ca. 50 cm (20 inches) diameter. Exumbrella smooth. Tentacles in adult 24, 3 per octant; and oral arms are frilled distally.
Color varies. Ground color may also be orange, or white; bell may have dark purple edge; tentacles may be dark purple; mouth-arms may be white/translucent-colorless. Marginal tentacles white to red with yellowish bases (type description).

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: They occur along both Atlantic and Pacific South American coasts.

REPRODUCTION: Jellies reproduce sexually and asexually.
In the adult, or medusa, jellyfish can reproduce sexually by releasing sperm and eggs into the water, forming a planula. In this larval stage of jellyfish life, which attaches to the bottom of a smooth rock or other structure and grows into another stage. The polyp resembles a miniature sea anemone. During this stage, which can last for several months or years, asexual reproduction occurs. The polyps clone themselves and budhat grows into the adult medusa jellyfish.

REMARKS: Stings are irritating but not severe, lasting 30-60 minutes.

Refrences

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Animal Attractions 2018

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/24372029277/in/album-72157629304397467/

Smithsonian Ocean Portal  ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/jellyfish-lifecycle-and-reprodu…

Scientific American    www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-jellyfish-repro…

Springer Link link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7015-7_10

Worms Taxon www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=287210

Marine Species Identification Portal

species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=zsao…

Ron’s WordPress Short link https://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1Te

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3-11-17 Mastigias Jellyfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series (Venomous)

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, INVERTEBRATES, JELLIES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
March 11, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Rhizostomeae
Family: Mastigiidae

Genus/species: Mastigias papua 

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The translucent bell of M. papua is usually hemispherical, with a diameter ranging from 30 to 80 mm (1 in to 3 inches). This species has 8 frilled oral arms, rather than tentacles. These arms end in a club-like filament that has a triangular cross-section, though this is absent in some species. Each oral arm has mouths on the club, as well as along the length towards the bell.
Color variation exists within Mastigias papua, though the bell is usually greenish blue to olive-green with yellow, white, and/or brown oval, granular spots across the rim (over the exumbrella). Coloring can be attributed to the zooxanthellae that reside symbiotically within the lagoon jellyfish (mostly in the mesoglea)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Tropical Pacific ocean usually bays, harbors and lagoons.

DIET IN THE WILD: Instead of a single mouth, they have many small mouth openings on their oral-arms, which capture small animal plankton. In addition, each jelly grows a crop of algae, which gives them a greenish-brown color. They harvest some of their food directly from the algae.

MORTALITY: Lifespan of approximately 4 months

PREDATION The only creature that has been confirmed to prey on Mastigias papua is a sea anemone, Entacmaea medusivora.

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REMARKS: Some species of small, juvenile fishes are known to shelter within this jelly’s bell for protection from larger predators.
The famous jellyfish of Jellyfish Lake, a well-known dive site in the Pacific islands of Palau, are descended from M. papua However unlike its jellyfish lake cousin M. papua possess venomous stinging cells for feeding and protection.

Human contacts may  experience many adverse effects such as rashes, severe itching, nausea, and vomiting when contacting tentacles.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef 2017 AQA17

Monterey Bay Aquarium  www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/sp…

ADW animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mastigias_papua/

EOL  eol.org/pages/203445/overview

Ron’sW0rdpress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-PC

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157610031545571/with/5985963712/

 

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef 2017 AQA17

Monterey Bay Aquarium

www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/sp…

ADW animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mastigias_papua/

Eol eol.org/pages/203445/overview

 

 

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2-12-13 Upside-down Jellyfish from Ron’s Tropical Marine Series

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, INVERTEBRATES, JELLIES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
February 12, 2013

TAXONOMY
Phylum:Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Rhizostomae
Family: Cassiopeidae

Genus/species: Cassiopea andromeda

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: To 30 cm (12 in) diameter, disc-shaped bell has elaborately fringed oral arms. Coloration is gray, brown or green with triangular white blotches surrounding the bell. Zooxanthellae are the responsible for the color

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Native to Indo-Pacific, but introduced in Caribbean, southern Florida, Hawaii. Upon shallow substrates, typically in calm sandy areas, often around mangroves. Intertidal to 10 m (33 ft).

DIET IN THE WILD: Consumes small marine animals after it paralyzes its prey with its mucous and nematocysts. Symbiotic algae in its tissues provide nutrition by photosynthesis, thus the upside down posture that allows algae, which live on the ventral surface, to receive maximum sunlight. The rhythmic pulsations create water flow that carries zooplankton over the tentacles to supplement the diet.

REPRODUCTION: Asexually (by budding) and sexually in the medusa form.

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REMARKS: The sting is relatively mild, but may create an irritating, itchy rash; especially sensitive individuals can experience vomiting and skeletal pain.

Mildly venonomus.

Reef Partners Cluster PR35

WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-PV

flickr   http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157610031545571/with/3052389114/

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2-7-13 Japanese Sea Nettle from Ron’s Temperate Marine Series (Venomous)

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, JELLIES, TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
February 7, 2013

TAXONOMY

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria (anemones, corals and jellyfish)

Classis: Scyphozoa
Order: Semaeostomeae
Familia: Pelagiidae

Genus/species: Chrysaora Pacifica

IMG_5334

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: APPEARANCE: Bells can grow up to 12 inches across and tentacles can stretch 10 feet or more. Their bells are white with brown-to-orange stripes, containing up to 32 very long orange-red tentacles and four long lips. One of C. Pacifica’s most distinguishing characteristics can be found on their undersides, where they have 16 brown stripes and eight stomach pouches.

DISTRIBUTION/ HABITAT: Deep open waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea. Found at the ocean surface to 200 meters (650 feet) below the surface.

DIET IN THE WILD: Other jellies, small crustaceans called copepods, and small fishes.

REPRODUCTION and DEVELOPMENT: The life cycle made up of five stages. They go through a metamorphosis or change in shape as they grow.
1.lifecycle begins when males broadcast or release sperm into the water and the females catch the sperm to fertilize the eggs she has produced and is holding in her mouth.
2. The fertilized eggs remain attached to the mother’s oral arms and grow into a flat jelly bean-shaped planula.
3. The planula then grows into flower-shaped polyps and the mother releases them into the ocean.
4. The polyps attach to a solid surface and undergo asexual reproduction through which they make an exact copy of themselves without eggs and sperm. The polyp makes these identical animals by budding where the new polyp grows out of its side.
5.After the new polyp is fully formed, it is released into the ocean and starts to change shape, looking more like the adult nettle. The nettle develops a bell, arms and tentacles until it is a fully formed medusa or adult. (Shedd AQ).

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REMARKS: Like many jellies, Japanese sea nettles use stinging cells to defend themselves and stun their prey. While not especially poisonous, their stings can cause intense skin irritation and burning sensations in humans. Some people can have allergic reactions to their venom. If you see one in the water, stay away because there’s a good chance more of them are nearby. Japanese sea nettles travel in swarms, which increases your chance of being stung if you encounter one.

 Animal Attractions

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157610031545571/

WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Ps

 

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