Lifecycle and Behavior Jellyfish exhibit a fascinating lifecycle that involves two distinct forms: the medusa and the polyp. Their simple yet effective body plan has allowed them to survive multiple mass extinctions, adapting to changing oceanic environments long before humans walked the planet.
Jellyfish Species Diversity Classification
They use their tentacles, which are covered in specialized stinging cells called nematocysts, to paralyze plankton, small fish, and crustaceans. They are composed of over 95% water and lack brains, hearts, lungs, or bones.
Specifically, most of the jellyfish we recognize belong to the class Scyphozoa, while others, like the Portuguese man o' war, are classified as hydrozoans. This incredible longevity speaks to their successful evolutionary design.
Jellyfish Species Diversity Classification
The polyp is a sessile, or stationary, stage that resembles a sea anemone and attaches to the ocean floor. The medusa is the familiar, bell-shaped adult stage that swims through the water.
More About Are jellyfish an animal
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