Jellyfish are very common and the most amazing view living creatures inhabiting the seas and oceans. You can admire them endlessly. What types of jellyfish are there, where they live, what they look like, read in this article.
General information about jellyfish
They belong to the coelenterates and are part of their life cycle, which comes in two stages: asexual and sexual. Adult jellyfish are dioecious and reproduce sexually. The role of the male is to sweep reproductive products into the water, which can immediately enter the corresponding organs of the female or be fertilized directly in the water. It depends on the type of jellyfish. The emerging larvae are called planulae.
They have the ability to exhibit phototaxis, that is, they move towards a light source. Obviously, they need to stay in the water for some time, and not immediately fall to the bottom. The freely mobile life of planulas does not last long, about a week. After this, they begin to settle to the very bottom, where they attach to the substrate. Here they are transformed into a polyp or scyphistoma, the reproduction of which occurs by budding.
This is called asexual reproduction, which can continue indefinitely until conditions are favorable for the formation of jellyfish. Gradually, the body of the polyp acquires transverse constrictions, then the process of strobilation occurs and the formation of young disc jellyfish - ethers.
They are most of the plankton. Subsequently, they mature and become adult jellyfish. Thus, for asexual reproduction - budding, the water temperature may be low. But, having overcome a certain temperature barrier, dioecious jellyfish are formed.
Class of hydroid jellyfish
Coelenterates include solitary or colonial aquatic inhabitants. Almost all of them are predators. Their food is plankton, larvae and fry of fish. There are ten thousand species of coelenterate jellyfish. They are divided into classes: hydroid, scyphoid, and the first two classes are usually combined into a subspecies of jellyfish.
Hydroid coelenterate jellyfish are characteristic representatives of freshwater polyps. Their usual habitats are lakes, ponds and rivers. The body has a cylindrical shape and the sole is attached to the substrate. The opposite end is crowned with a mouth with tentacles located around it. Fertilization occurs inside the body. If a hydra is cut into many pieces or turned out the other way, it will continue to grow and live. The length of its green or brown body reaches one centimeter. Hydra does not live long, only one year.
They are free-floating and come in different sizes. The size of some species is only a few millimeters, while others are two to three meters. An example is cyanea. Its tentacles can stretch up to twenty meters in length. The polyp is poorly developed or completely absent. The intestinal cavity is divided into chambers by partitions.
Scyphoid jellyfish can live up to several months. About two hundred species live in temperate and tropical waters of the World Ocean. There are jellyfish that people eat. These are cornerota and aurelia, they are salted. Many species of scyphoid jellyfish cause burns and reddening of the body if touched. For example, chirodrofus even causes fatal burns in humans.
Jellyfish Aurelia eared
There are different types of jellyfish. A photo of one of them is presented to your attention. This is a scyphoid eared one. Her breathing is carried out throughout her transparent and gelatinous body, in which there are twenty-four eyes. Sensitive bodies called rhopalia are located along the entire perimeter of the body. They perceive impulses environment. It could be the light.
The jellyfish eats food and removes its remains from the body through the mouth opening, around which four oral lobes are located. They contain a burning substance that serves as a defense for the jellyfish and helps it obtain food. Aurelia is not adapted to life on land, as it consists of water.
Medusa Cornerot
It is popularly called the "Umbrella". The habitat of the jellyfish is the Black, Azov and Baltic seas. Cornerot fascinates with its beauty. The body of the jellyfish is translucent with a blue or purple edging, reminiscent of a lampshade or umbrella. Its peculiarity is that most often it swims on its side and has no mouth. Instead, small diameter holes are scattered on the blades through which it feeds. Cornerot lives and reproduces in water columns at great depths. If you accidentally come into contact with a jellyfish, you can get burned.
Unusual habitat
Scientists from Israel have proven that freshwater jellyfish found in the Golan Heights in lakes. The children saw them for the first time. Then individual specimens were placed in a bottle and given to Professor Gofin. He studied them carefully in the laboratory. It turned out that this was a local colony of one of the freshwater hydroid jellyfish, which were described in England back in 1880. Then these jellyfish were discovered in a pool of water tropical plants. According to the professor, the jellyfish's mouth is surrounded by numerous stinging cells, with which it catches planktonic organisms. These jellyfish are not dangerous to humans.
Freshwater jellyfish
These coelenterate inhabitants inhabit the waters only of seas and oceans. But, there is one exception called the Amazon freshwater jellyfish. Its habitat is South America, namely the swimming pool large river on the mainland - the Amazon. Hence the name. Today, this species has spread everywhere, quite by accident, during the transportation of fish from the seas and oceans. The jellyfish is very small, reaching only two centimeters in diameter. Now she inhabits the slow, calm and standing water, dams, canals. The food is zooplankton.
The largest jellyfish
This is cyanea or lion's mane. There are different types of jellyfish in nature, but this one is special. After all, it was Conan Doyle who described it in his story. This is a very large jellyfish, the umbrella of which reaches two meters in diameter, and the tentacles reach twenty. They look like a raspberry-red tangled ball.
In the central part the umbrella is yellowish, and its edges are dark red. The lower part of the dome is endowed with a mouth opening, around which there are sixteen large folded oral lobes. They hang down like curtains. Cyanea moves very slowly, mainly on the surface of the water. It is an active predator, feeding on planktonic organisms and small jellyfish. Habitat: cold waters. Occurs frequently, but is not dangerous. The resulting burns are not fatal, but can cause painful redness.
Jellyfish "Purple Sting"
This species is distributed in the World Ocean with warm and temperate waters: it is found in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These types of jellyfish usually live far from the coast. But sometimes they can form schools in coastal waters, and can be found in large numbers on the beaches. Jellyfish are not only They are golden yellow or yellow-brown, depending on their habitat.
Jellyfish Compass
These types of jellyfish chose coastal waters as their place of residence. Mediterranean Sea and one of the oceans - the Atlantic. They live off the coast of Turkey and the United Kingdom. These are quite large jellyfish, their diameter reaches thirty centimeters. They have twenty-four tentacles, which are arranged in groups of three each. The body color is yellowish-white with a brown tint, and its shape resembles a saucer-bell, which has thirty-two lobes, which are colored brown at the edges.
The upper surface of the bell has sixteen brown V-shaped rays different shapes. The lower part of the bell is the location of the mouth opening, surrounded by four tentacles. These Their poison is potent and often leads to the formation of wounds that are very painful and take a long time to heal.
Those who have ever vacationed at sea have most likely seen jellyfish in the water - transparent, jelly-like, blurry, sometimes even very beautiful, creatures of different shapes and sizes.
Pale gelatinous creatures, of course, do not evoke much sympathy in humans. Meanwhile, few marine inhabitants can compare with jellyfish in originality and diversity.
Jellyfish can be round, flat, elongated, very small or, conversely, huge.
However, the beauty of most jellyfish is deceptive - almost all jellyfish are poisonous. Some more, some less. Some species are practically harmless to humans, others sting like nettles, and a painful burning sensation can be felt for several days, and some even cause paralysis that can lead to death.
For example, the most poisonous jellyfish in the world - the Sea Wasp - lives in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. After touching its tentacles, a person dies within one or two minutes if medical help does not arrive. Its diameter is only 12 centimeters, but the tentacles are 7-8 meters long! The venom of this jellyfish can only be compared to the venom of a cobra. Both of these poisons paralyze the heart muscle. Sea wasps come very close to the shore in search of food.
There is also a very tiny killer jellyfish with a deadly sting. Its diameter is only 12 millimeters. The bite of its deadly sting at first resembles that of a mosquito. Within an hour, victims experience severe pain in the lower back, lumbago throughout the body, convulsions, nausea, vomiting, sweating profusely and coughing. The consequences are extremely serious: from paralysis to death, cerebral hemorrhage or cardiac arrest.
So, just in case, never touch jellyfish with your hands! Don't try to catch them! And in general, stay away from them, because you can never know in advance whether this jellyfish is dangerous or not.
There are also jellyfish that are completely harmless to humans. For example, this is the well-known glassy-white “eared” jellyfish - Aurelia. It lives in all tropical and moderately warm seas, including the Black Sea.
By the way, they say that if you rub the body of Aurelia into human skin, it will become immune to certain types of stinging jellyfish. But we do not advise you to test this dubious statement in practice!
Jellyfish can be dangerous not only for people, but also for ships. Ship engines are cooled by overboard water, which enters through a special hole in the bottom. And if jellyfish get into this hole, they tightly shut off the water supply. The engine overheats and fails until divers clear the “live plug.”
And then, for example, in the Mediterranean Sea there are funny little jellyfish that glow in the dark like light bulbs!
In general, a jellyfish is something very incomprehensible. And dangerous. Even small. What can we say about the big ones! Or rather, even gigantic ones, and believe me, there are such things.
For example, the giant of the Arctic waters is the fiery red Lion's Mane or Cyanea.
Its dome-shaped body grows up to two and a half meters in diameter!
Bunches of wriggling thread-like tentacles of this beauty, reaching 30 m in length, can cover a five-story building!
The weight of different giant jellyfish can reach up to 200 kilograms! Imagine what it would be like to encounter such a creature in the water! The tentacles of giant jellyfish are usually poisonous.
IN Lately The number of giant poisonous jellyfish, for unknown reasons, has greatly increased in the East China and Japan Seas, and now they are frightening residents of nearby countries.
The authorities of Japan, China and South Korea are seriously concerned about what is happening; they consider the invasion of jellyfish to be a disaster for their countries and are even going to special meetings dedicated to this problem in order to jointly figure out how to fight back against the jellyfish.
Fishermen began to find in their nets a large number of giant jellyfish, which previously were very few in number and the likelihood of meeting them was extremely low - that’s how this problem was discovered.
Among Japanese divers there are fans of huge jellyfish, who dive specifically to get up close and personal with the giants. They say that they are hard to touch, the jellyfish are large and unusually impressive, they are afraid of people and do not let them near them.
These jellyfish cause a lot of damage to fishermen - the fish either die under their weight or become unusable due to their poison, and the nets simply break.
For example, in Japan, in the north of the island of Honshu, fishermen even had to stop fishing at the height of the season. Can you imagine the damage this caused to their business? In addition, the Japanese's main food is fish, and it is very disappointing not to get it because of some giant jellyfish.
For many fishermen in South Korea, China and Japan, incomes have fallen by 50-80%.
Moreover, in some places the density of jellyfish is already a hundred times higher than normal!
A similar sudden increase in the jellyfish population was recorded in 2002 and 2003. But then the largest jellyfish was only about 1 meter in diameter and weighed a little more than 100 kilograms, i.e. on this moment The jellyfish have become almost twice as large as before!
According to one theory, the proliferation of jellyfish is facilitated by global warming, due to which sea water warms up. According to another version, the rains that fall heavily in China in the summer caused nutrients from river water to flow into the sea.
Another version is the depletion of fish stocks, due to which plankton, the main food of jellyfish, has grown.
Meanwhile, in Japan, China and South Korea they decided to start eating poisonous jellyfish, since so many of them began to be caught in the net
Cooking jellyfish is a complex process from a technical point of view, because jellyfish are not only poisonous, but also consist of 90% water. They are first boiled, then dried, then ground into powder and sold in dried or salted form, they are made into jelly and tofu - such a special Japanese soybean curd. Well, besides, of course, instead of drying and grinding into powder, you can simply fry the jellyfish.
A real culinary sensation was the Ekura-chan cookie, made from a giant jellyfish - the main enemy of fishermen in the Sea of Japan.
In the process of experiments on jellyfish and attempts to process them for food production Researchers managed to turn the body of a jellyfish into an excellent leavening agent for dough, which is used in the preparation of these unusual cookies.
The resulting powder is odorless and has a slightly bitter taste. In addition, the authors of the delicacy praise it beneficial features: Collagen and minerals found in the bodies of jellyfish.
The Japanese willingly buy these strange cookies
By the way, in English the jellyfish is called jellyfish, which literally translates as “jelly fish” or “jelly fish,” although, you must admit, it doesn’t really look like a fish
Materials used: http://zateevo.ru/?section=page&action=edit&alias=Gigant_meduz
Jellyfish are a class of multicellular invertebrates that hunt and kill their victims using tentacles.
These beautiful exotic creatures can only survive in salt water, therefore, their habitat is the oceans, seas and, in some cases, the lagoons of coral islands cut off from the “big water”. Some of the species love cool water, others - warm, others live only in the upper layers, and others - only at the bottom.
It is interesting that the representatives of the animal world in question belong to the same group as... corals. Both of these classes of creatures belong to the coelenterates.
Jellyfish are loners. They do not transmit signals to their “relatives” in any way, even if they are swept into a large pile by the current.
Their name was given to them in the mid-18th century by Carl Linnaeus, who noticed their similarity to the head of the famous character of ancient Greek myths - the Gorgon Medusa.
This is an amazing animal 98% consists of water, therefore, its body is almost transparent, similar to a dome, umbrella or disk made of jelly. And the “dome” moves due to muscle contraction.
Tentacles
There are tentacles along the edges of the creature. They are very different in different species: short and thick are possible, and long and thin are possible; their number ranges from four to four hundred (the number of tentacles is always a multiple of four, because these animals have an inherent radial symmetry).
Tentacles are built from containing poisonous substances of stinging cells and are needed for movement, hunting and holding prey. Fun fact: even a dead jellyfish can bite for about two weeks. Certain types of jellyfish are extremely dangerous for humans. For example, an animal called the Sea Wasp can poison six dozen people in a couple of minutes.
From above the animal’s body is smooth and dome-shaped, and from below it looks like an empty bag. In the middle below is the mouth opening. It can also be different: in some individuals it looks like a pipe, in others it looks like a club, in others it is wide. Undigested food remains are also removed through the mouth.
Growth and development
Jellyfish increase in size throughout their lives, and their final size depends on the species. There are tiny ones, no longer than a couple of millimeters, but there are giants larger than forty meters(this is the length of the tentacles). Cyanea - largest representative, lives in the North Atlantic.
These inhabitants of the sea no brain or sense organs, but there are light-sensitive cells that help them distinguish between darkness and light (they do not see objects). Some specimens can glow in the dark. Animals living in the depths are usually red, and those living near the surface of the water are blue.
Internal structure
The internal structure of animals is very simple. They consist of two layers:
- The outer ectoderm, which acts as a kind of skin and muscle, contains the rudiments of nerves and germ cells.
- Internal endoderm, which only digests food.
Jellyfish have an amazing ability to regenerate: even if you cut an animal into halves, two similar individuals will grow from them.
Classification
- Hydroids or Hydrozoa(organisms that live only in waters that constantly contain absorbed oxygen). Relatively small (1 to 3 cm), transparent animals; four tentacles, a long mouth resembling a tube. The most famous creature of this class is Turritopsis nutricula. This the only thing known to science biologically immortal being. Having aged, it sits on the seabed and transforms into a polyp, from which new individuals then grow. Another very dangerous animal called the Cross belongs to this class. It is tiny (the largest individuals reach about 4 cm), but if it bites a person, the victim will have serious and very long-term health problems.
- Box jellyfish (Cubozoa). This class is so named because their umbrella is not oval, but cubic. They differ from other representatives by their developed nervous system. They can swim at speeds of up to six meters per minute and adjust direction with ease. However, they are also the most dangerous for people: some individuals can even kill a careless swimmer. The most poisonous representative of cnidarians on the planet, the Sea Wasp, is a representative of this class.
Among the most unusual animals on Earth, jellyfish are also among the oldest, with an evolutionary history dating back hundreds of millions of years. In this article, we reveal 10 basic facts about jellyfish, from how these invertebrates move through deep water to how they sting their prey.
1. Jellyfish are classified as cnidarians or cnidarians.
Named after the Greek word " sea nettle"," Cnidarians are marine animals characterized by a jelly-like body structure, radial symmetry, and stinging "cnidocyte" cells on their tentacles that literally explode when capturing prey. There are about 10,000 species of cnidarians, about half of which are classified as coral polyps, and the other half include hydroids, scyphoids, and box jellyfish (the group of animals most people call jellyfish).
Cnidarians are among the most ancient animals on earth; Their fossil roots go back almost 600 million years!
2. There are four main classes of jellyfish
Scyphoid and box jellyfish are two classes of cnidarians that include classical jellyfish; The main difference between the two is that box jellyfish are cube-shaped and bell-shaped, and are slightly faster than scyphoid jellyfish. There are also hydroids (most species of which do not go through the polyp stage) and staurozoa - a class of jellyfish that lead a sedentary lifestyle, attaching to a hard surface.
All four classes of jellyfish: scyphoid, box jellyfish, hydroid and staurozoa belong to the subphylum of cnidarians - medusozoa.
3. Jellyfish are some of the simplest animals in the world
What can you say about animals without central nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems? Compared to animals, jellyfish are extremely simple organisms, characterized mainly by wavy bells (which house the stomach) and tentacles containing many stinging cells. Their almost transparent bodies consist of only three layers of outer epidermis, middle mesoglea, and inner gastrodermis and water making up 95-98% of the total volume, compared to 60% in the average human.
4. Jellyfish are formed from polyps
Like many animals, the life cycle of jellyfish begins with eggs, which are fertilized by males. After this, things get a little more complicated: what emerges from the egg is a free-swimming planula (larva) that looks like a giant slipper ciliate. The planula then attaches itself to a solid surface (sea floor or rocks) and develops into a polyp resembling miniature corals or sea anemones. Finally, after several months or even years, the polyp detaches and develops into an ether, which grows into an adult jellyfish.
5. Some jellyfish have eyes
Cobojellyfish have a couple of dozen light-sensitive cells in the form of an eyespot, but unlike other marine jellyfish, some of their eyes have a cornea, lenses and retina. These compound eyes are arranged in pairs around the circumference of the bell (one pointing upward and the other downward, providing a 360-degree view).
The eyes are used to search for prey and protect themselves from predators, but their main function is the correct orientation of jellyfish in the water column.
6. Jellyfish have a unique way of delivering venom.
As a rule, they release their venom during a bite, but not jellyfish (and other coelenterates), which in the process of evolution have developed specialized organs called nematocysts. When the jellyfish's tentacles are stimulated, enormous internal pressure is created in the stinging cells (about 2,000 pounds per square inch) and they literally explode, piercing the skin of the unfortunate victim to deliver thousands of tiny doses of venom. The nematocysts are so powerful that they can be activated even when the jellyfish is washed ashore or dies.
7. The sea wasp is the most dangerous jellyfish
Most people are afraid poisonous spiders and rattlesnakes, but the most dangerous animal on the planet for humans may be a species of jellyfish - the sea wasp ( Chironex fleckeri). With a bell the size of a basketball and tentacles up to 3m long, the sea wasp prowls the waters off Australia and Southeast Asia and has killed at least 60 people in the last century.
A slight touch of the tentacles of a sea wasp causes excruciating pain, and closer contact with these jellyfish can kill an adult in a couple of minutes.
8. The movement of jellyfish resembles the operation of a jet engine
Jellyfish are equipped with hydrostatic skeletons, invented by evolution hundreds of millions of years ago. Essentially, the jellyfish's bell is a fluid-filled cavity surrounded by circular muscles that spray water in the opposite direction of movement.
The hydrostatic skeleton is also found in starfish, worms and other invertebrates. Jellyfish can move along with ocean currents, thereby saving themselves from unnecessary effort.
9. One type of jellyfish may be immortal
Like most invertebrate animals, jellyfish have a short lifespan: some small species live only hours, while the largest species, such as the lion's mane jellyfish, can live for several years. Controversially, some scientists claim that jellyfish species Turritopsis dornii immortal: adults are able to return to the polyp stage (see point 4), and thus an endless life cycle is theoretically possible.
Unfortunately, this behavior has only been observed in laboratory conditions, and Turritopsis dornii can easily die in many other ways (such as becoming dinner for predators or being washed up on a beach).
10. A group of jellyfish is called a “swarm”
Remember the scene from the cartoon Finding Nemo, where Marlon and Dory have to navigate their way through a huge cluster of jellyfish? Scientifically, a group of jellyfish consisting of hundreds or even thousands of individual individuals is called a "swarm". Marine biologists have noticed that large aggregations of jellyfish are being observed more and more often, and may serve as an indicator of sea pollution or global warming. Jellyfish swarms tend to form in warm water, and jellyfish are able to thrive in anoxic marine conditions that are unsuitable for other invertebrates of their size.
Jellyfish are very amazing creatures that evoke an extraordinary attitude towards them. Jellyfish can be found in every sea, in every ocean, on the surface of the water or at a depth of many kilometers.
Jellyfish are the oldest animals on the planet, their history goes back at least 600 million years. There is an incredible number of different species in nature, but even now the emergence of new ones, previously unknown to scientists, is being recorded.
Jellyfish (Polypomedusae) are one of the phases of the life cycle of cnidarians Medusozoa, which are usually divided into three types: hydroid, scyphoid and box jellyfish. Jellyfish reproduce sexually. There are males who produce sperm and females who produce eggs. As a result of their fusion, the so-called planula is formed - a jellyfish larva. The planula settles to the bottom, where over time it turns into a polyp (asexual generation of jellyfish). Having reached full maturity, the polyp begins to bud off a young generation of jellyfish, often completely different from the adults. In scyphoid jellyfish, the newly separated specimen is called ether. The body of jellyfish is a jelly-like dome, which, through contractions, allows them to move in the water column. Tentacles equipped with stinging cells (cnidocytes) with a burning poison are designed for hunting and capturing prey.
The term "jellyfish" was first used by Carl Linnaeus in 1752, as an allusion to the animal's resemblance to the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Becoming popular around 1796, the name began to be used to identify other medusoid species of animals, such as ctenophores.
A little interesting facts about jellyfish:
The world's largest jellyfish can reach up to 2.5 meters in diameter and have tentacles more than 40 meters long. Jellyfish are capable of reproducing both sexually and by budding and fission. The Australian wasp jellyfish is the most dangerous poisonous animal in the world's oceans. The venom of a sea wasp is enough to kill 60 people. Even after the death of a jellyfish, its tentacles can sting for more than two weeks. Jellyfish do not stop growing throughout their lives. Large concentrations of jellyfish are called “swarms” or “blooms.” Some species of jellyfish are eaten in East Asia, considered a “delicacy.” Jellyfish do not have a brain, respiratory system, circulatory, nervous or excretory systems.
The rainy season significantly reduces the number of jellyfish living in salt water bodies. Some female jellyfish can produce up to 45,000 larvae (planulae) per day.
Pink jellyfish from the Scyphozoan family was discovered quite recently, a little over 10 years ago, in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Some individuals of this species reach up to 70 cm in diameter. Pink jellyfish can cause serious and painful burns, especially if a swimmer inadvertently ends up among a large concentration of these creatures.
Antarctic Diplulmaris- one of the species of jellyfish of the Ulmaridae family. This jellyfish was recently discovered in Antarctica, in the waters of the continental shelf. The Antarctic Diplulmaris is only 4 cm in diameter.
Flower cap jellyfish(lat. Olindias Formosa) is one of the types of hydroid jellyfish from the order Limnomedusae. Basically, these cute creatures live in south coast Japan. Feature- motionless hovering near the bottom in shallow water. The diameter of the “flower cap” usually does not exceed 7.5 cm. The tentacles of the jellyfish are located not only along the edge of the dome, but also over its entire surface, which is not at all typical for other species. A flower cap burn is not fatal, but is quite painful and can lead to severe allergic reactions.
Purple striped jellyfish(lat. Chrysaora Colorata) from the class Scyphozoa is found only near the coast of California. This rather large jellyfish reaches 70 cm in diameter, the length of the tentacles is about 5 meters. A characteristic feature is the striped pattern on the dome. In adults it has a bright purple color, in juveniles it is pink. Purple-striped jellyfish usually live alone or in small groups, unlike most other species of jellyfish, which often form huge colonies. The Chrysaora Colorata burn is quite painful, but not fatal to humans.
Giant Nomura jellyfish(Latin: Nemopilema nomurai) is a species of scyphoid jellyfish from the order Cornerotae. This species predominantly inhabits the East China and Yellow Seas. The size of individuals of this species is truly impressive! They can reach up to 2 meters in diameter and weigh about 200 kg. The name of the species was given in honor of Mr. Kan'ichi Nomura, general director fisheries in Fukui Prefecture. In early 1921, Mr. Nomura first collected and studied a previously unknown species of jellyfish. Currently, the number of Nomura jellyfish in the world is growing. Possible reasons population growth, scientists believe climate change, overexploitation water resources and environmental pollution. In 2009, a 10-ton fishing trawler capsized in Tokyo Bay with three crew members trying to remove nets overflowing with dozens of Nomura jellyfish.
Tiburonia granrojo- a little-studied species of jellyfish from the Ulmáridos family, discovered by MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) only in 2003. It lives at depths between 600 and 1500 meters in Hawaii, the Gulf of California and Japan. Thanks to its rich dark red color, this species of jellyfish has earned the nickname Big Red. The big red jellyfish is one of the most large species jellyfish, its diameter ranges from 60 to 90 cm. Currently, only 23 individuals of this red giant have been found and studied.
Pacific sea nettle(lat. Chrysaora fuscescens) - has a bright characteristic golden-brown color, due to which it is often kept in captivity (aquariums and oceanariums). The name of the jellyfish genus Chrysaora goes back to Greek mythology. Chrysaor is the son of Poseidon and Medusa the Gorgon; his name translated means “he who has golden weapons.” IN wildlife Sea nettles are found in the Pacific Ocean from Canada to Mexico. The diameter of the jellyfish's dome can reach more than 1 meter, but more often no more than 50 cm, the length of the tentacles is 3-4 meters. The tentacles of the jellyfish are very thin, so the burn looks like a bright red welt, similar to a blow from a whip. Although victims experience severe pain and burning, going to a medical facility is usually not required. You can neutralize the effects of jellyfish toxins and relieve pain with vinegar or citric acid.
Portuguese man of war (lat. Physalia physalis) is a bright and very toxic representative of colonial hydroids from the order of siphonophores. It is most common in tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the North Atlantic Ocean. Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of this species. Since 1989, physalia has appeared in the Mediterranean Sea, for the first time off the coast of Africa, then Corsica, and in 2010 it was discovered off the coast of Malta. In the period 2009-2010, cases of physalia appearing off the coasts of Ireland and Florida were recorded. Entire flotillas of Portuguese man-of-war can now be found off the coast of Guyana, Colombia, Jamaica, Venezuela, Australia and New Zealand. In fact, the Portuguese man-of-war is not a single jellyfish, since it is a whole colony of polypoid and medusoid individuals united under one “roof”. The tentacles of this unusual organism, when extended, can reach up to 50 meters in length. A Portuguese Man of War burn is comparable in toxicity to a bite. poisonous snake. For burns, it is necessary to treat the affected area with 3-5% vinegar in order to prevent the release of poison from the stinging cells remaining in the wound. Only in rare cases do physalia burns lead to death. The Man of Portugal is especially dangerous for children, the elderly and allergy sufferers. Be extremely careful with this type of jellyfish.
Cephea cephea or the so-called “soft” jellyfish is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea. This large jellyfish can reach up to 50 cm in diameter.
Aurelia eared(lat. Aurelia aurita) is a scyphoid jellyfish from the order of discomedusae. Widely distributed in the coastal waters of tropical and temperate zones. In particular, the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The diameter of the aurelia dome can reach up to 40 cm. The color is pinkish-violet, the body is almost transparent. Until recently, this type of jellyfish was not considered dangerous to humans. However, there have been several recent cases of severe burns in the Gulf of Mexico. It is believed that in the waters of the Black Sea, aurelia does not pose a serious danger to humans.
Australian jellyfish or sea wasp (lat. Chironex fleckeri) from the class of box jellyfish - the most dangerous deadly animal in the world's oceans. The main habitats are the coasts of northern Australia and Indonesia. The sea wasp is one of the largest species of box jellyfish; the diameter of its dome can reach up to 20-30 cm. Its pale blue color and almost complete transparency make it especially dangerous for swimmers, since it is not easy to notice in the water. The tentacles of a jellyfish are densely covered with stinging cells containing extremely strong poison. Burns caused by box jellyfish cause severe excruciating pain and in some cases can lead to rapid death. The venom of the sea wasp simultaneously affects the heart, nervous system and skin. Moreover, the neurotoxic venom of a jellyfish acts much faster than the venom of any snake or spider. Cases have been recorded where death occurred within 4 minutes of contact. First aid for a sea wasp burn consists of immediately treating the affected area with vinegar, removing the tentacles that have stuck to the skin (remove only with protected hands or tweezers!) and immediately contacting a medical facility, as the administration of an antitoxic serum may be required. The Australian jellyfish is the most dangerous jellyfish in the world!
Ctenophores(lat. Ctenophora) - jellyfish-like organisms that live in sea waters almost all over the world. A distinctive feature of all ctenophores is a kind of “comb,” groups of fin-cilia used by this species for swimming. The sizes of Ctenophora range from a few millimeters to 1.5 meters. Among ctenophores, there are many deep-sea species capable of bioluminescence.
Aequorea Victoria or "crystal" jellyfish - a bioluminescent jellyfish from the order of hydromedusae. Widely distributed along the North American west coast Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Sea to Southern California.
Australian spotted jellyfish(lat. Phyllorhiza punctata) belongs to the family of pelagic jellyfish. Its main habitat is the southern Pacific Ocean. The usual size of the dome of the spotted Australian jellyfish is up to 40 cm, but in the waters of the Persian and Mexican Gulfs it reaches 70 cm. The Australian jellyfish is not dangerous to humans. However, to neutralize the poison, you should resort to a proven method - treat the skin with vinegar or citric acid in order to prevent possible allergic reactions. Recently, a massive proliferation of Australian jellyfish has been recorded, which can pose a serious threat to commercial fish populations. Feeding on eggs and fry, they pass up to 15,000 liters of water per day through their tentacles and swallow huge amounts of plankton and other marine life.
Mediterranean jellyfish Cassiopeia can reach up to 30 cm in diameter. Spends most of its time in shallow water, basking in the sun's rays.
Hairy cyanea or Lion's mane jellyfish (lat. Cyanea capillata, Cyanea arctica) is a large jellyfish from the order of disc jellyfish. The species is widespread in all northern seas Pacific and Atlantic oceans, lives near the coast in surface layers of water. The bell of the Arctic cyanea (a subspecies of the hairy cyanea) can reach up to 2 meters in diameter, and the length of the tentacles is up to 33 meters. Lion's mane is generally considered a moderately stinging jellyfish. The burns it inflicts are quite painful, and the toxins contained in the poison can cause a severe allergic reaction. However, the poison of this jellyfish is not fatal to humans.
Jellyfish Chrysaora Achlyos- one of the largest species of scyphoid jellyfish. The bell size is approximately 1 m in diameter, the tentacles can reach up to 6 m in length. It has the ability of a chameleon - changing color from bright red to black.
The new kind transparent jellyfish, discovered in Antarctica. Its diameter is about 2.5 cm
