I visited the Shedd Aquarium recently and here are some pics and
videos.
Jelly Fishes come in all sizes - the smallest species can fit into
a contact lens and the biggest species (The Lion's Mane) has tentacles that
stretch to 100 feet!
A Jelly's body is 95% water. Instead of a brain, it has a nerve
net. A jelly's mouth not only accepts food, but also serves as outlet for waste
and as a pathway for eggs or sperm.
Many Jellies have tentacles and feeding arms that are linked with
stinging cells. When they come in contact with the prey, these cells shoot out
like tiny harpoons to sting or kill.
One Jelly Fish can lay thousands of eggs each day. This type of
mass production often leads to lots of jellies at one time.
Jellies can live even in dead zones, where most animals cannot.
Dead zones are polluted, oxygen-starved areas in the ocean. In these zones, the
jellies can grow and reproduce unchecked as they are safe from predators.
Further more, jellies do not need to eat much to live. Some
jellies can survive for weeks without feed, while others shrink in size. The
scarcity of food has less impact on jellies than on other animals.
Some jellies such as Crystal Jellies make their own light using
green flourescent protein (GFP) in their cells. This phenomenon is called
bioluminescence. GFP is used commonly in biomedicine today and has led to
discoveries about cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
Moon
Jelly
Hairy Jelly
The white, curly shapes seen in the bell are the Jelly's reproductive organs.
Upside - Down Jelly
These jellies live only in the shallow, sunlit waters of mangrove forests and lagoons.
Blue
blubber Jelly
These jellies range in color from very
light blue to navy blue and purple.
Northeast
pacific sea nettle
Sea nettles hunt by trailing long
tentacles and oral arms covered with stinging cells that paralyze prey.
Purple striped sea nettle
These jellies are found in the Northeast Pacific waters.
Spotted Lagoon Jelly
These Jellies moves their body toward the sunlight, which helps their crop of symbiotic algae to grow.
Japanese
Sea Nettle Jelly
Sea
Nettle's tentacles can reach up to nearly 10 feet.
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