December 2008
MOON JELLYFISH
Photo by Flickr user
Domenico
Photography
ALL ABOUT MOON JELLYFISH...
Moon Jellyfish are part of the phylum Cnidaria, their class is Scyphozoa, and their species is Aurelia aurita.
This animal is in the phylum Cnidaria
because it has cnidocytes, which are specialized
cells that are used for capturing prey. This
distinguishes all Cnidarians from other types of
animals. They are all found underwater and
consist of a jelly-like substance, which is
probably why we call them jellyfish. They have
radial symmetry and a single body cavity for
digestion, excretion, and respiration.
Moon jellyfish are closely related to all
other jellyfish in their phylum. They are
translucent and have horseshoe-shaped gonads
in the middle of their bodies. They feed on
medusae, plankton, and mollusks by stinging
them with their tentacles and then digesting
them. These jellies drift along with the current
and are found throughout most of the world’s
oceans.
Interesting
Fact:
Moon Jellyfish are
made out of a
substance called
mesoglea, which is
like jelly.
Like all other Cnidarians, moon jellyfish live
in the ocean. They are second consumers since Photo by Flickr user Nemo’s
Great Uncle
they feed on other organisms. The moon jellyfish
does not have lungs or gills because it respires
by diffusing oxygen from the water. This jellyfish
has many predators such as the Ocean Sunfish,
the Leatherback Sea Turtle, and others along
with birds. They are sometimes eaten by people
in China and other parts of Asia.
This species reproduces asexually and
sexually. In their first stage of life, when they are
a polyp, they reproduce asexually by budding to
form more polyps. The polyps then produce
ephyra which grow into medusae, which will
swim away and reproduce sexually with another
More Jellies
medusae to make a polyp, and then the cycle Here is another great picture of
begins all over again. This species is exotic many moon jellies all
because it has such an odd life cycle. surrounding each other.
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