One of my favorite creatures of the sea is the Jellyfish! They are so magical and beautiful! I love the way the move in the water and how they are all so different and original.
Here are some fun facts that I learned about Jellyfish:
Fact #1 There are over 200 known species of jellyfish, True jellyfish and many others. Examples of true jellyfish include Lion’s Mane that is known to be the biggest, Moon Jellies, Sea Nettles and Blue Jellies among others. Those that are not true jellyfish like the Craspedacusta Sowerbii, are known so because they only thrive in fresh water. The history of jellyfish dates back to over 650 million years ago and is a story much longer than that of dinosaurs.
Fact #2 Jellyfishes use jet propulsion to make their way through to the oceans of the world. Some jellyfish are avid swimmers, while other mostly drift with the currents.
Fact #3 Jellyfish are made up to 95% water! Their bodies are soft and lack a skeletal structure or outer shell. They are delicate and are easily damageds. Jellyfish require water to help support their body and if removed from their aquatic surroundings, they collapse.
Fact #4 Jellyfishes have no brain, no blood and no nervous system. Their senses are primitive and consist of a neural net, eye spots that can sense light from dark, and chemosensory pits that help them identify potential prey.
Fact #5 The word jellyfish is a common term used to describe animals that are gelatinous or made up of ‘jelly-like’ material. There are many different types of jellyfish, including stinging kinds called medusae and non-stinging kinds calledcomb jellies or ctenophores. Another type of jelly animal called a salp is even in the same group as humans!
Fact #6 Most jellyfish live less than one year, and some some of the smallest may live only a few days.
Fact #7 Jellyfish digest their food very quickly. They wouldn't be able to float if they had to carry a large, undigested meal around for a long period. They dine on fish, shrimp, crabs, tiny plants, and will even eat other species of jellyfish.
Fact #8 Jellyfish NEVER stop growing.
Fact #9 Jellyfish are not actually classified as ‘fish’, some people prefer to refer to them as ‘sea jellies’. They do not have gills (or lungs)
Fact #10 The jellyfish population can be decreased by particularly rainy season, because they prefer salt water.
I got stung by a jelly fish at the beach and it hurt so much! but i still reckon there pretty awesome!
Posted by: Meg | May 13, 2011 at 02:36 AM
I love the pictures!
Posted by: Lisbeth | May 12, 2011 at 04:41 PM