42-429: See text The Pelagiidae are a family of jellyfish . Members of the family Pelagiidae have no ring canal, and the marginal tentacles arise from umbrella margin. There are four genera currently recognized: This Scyphozoa -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Jellyfish Jellyfish , also known as sea jellies , are the medusa -phase of certain gelatinous members of
84-477: A medusa stage in their life cycle. The basic pattern is medusa (usually the adult or sexual phase), planula larva , polyp , medusa. Symmetry is tetramerous, with parts in fours or multiples of four. The mitochondrial DNA molecules are linear rather than circular as in anthozoans and almost all other animals. The cnidae, the explosive cells characteristic of the Cnidaria and used in prey capture and defence, are of
126-493: A " nerve net " is located in the epidermis . Although traditionally thought not to have a central nervous system , nerve net concentration and ganglion -like structures could be considered to constitute one in most species. A jellyfish detects stimuli, and transmits impulses both throughout the nerve net and around a circular nerve ring, to other nerve cells. The rhopalial ganglia contain pacemaker neurones which control swimming rate and direction. In many species of jellyfish,
168-508: A backbone, though shellfish , cuttlefish and starfish are not vertebrates either. In scientific literature, "jelly" and "jellyfish" have been used interchangeably. Many sources refer to only scyphozoans as "true jellyfish". A group of jellyfish is called a "smack" or a "smuck". The term jellyfish broadly corresponds to medusae, that is, a life-cycle stage in the Medusozoa . The American evolutionary biologist Paulyn Cartwright gives
210-400: A complex life cycle , and the medusa is normally the sexual phase, which produces planula larvae. These then disperse widely and enter a sedentary polyp phase which may include asexual budding before reaching sexual maturity. Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea. Scyphozoans (the "true jellyfish") are exclusively marine , but some hydrozoans with
252-517: A free-swimming medusa is Burgessomedusa from the mid-Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canada, which is likely either a stem group of box jellyfish (Cubozoa) or Acraspeda (the clade including Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa). Other claimed records from the Cambrian of China and Utah in the United States are uncertain, and possibly represent ctenophores instead. The main feature of a true jellyfish
294-408: A medusa stage in their life cycle. The basic cycle is egg, planula larva, polyp, medusa, with the medusa being the sexual stage. The polyp stage is sometimes secondarily lost. The subphylum include the major taxa, Scyphozoa (large jellyfish), Cubozoa (box jellyfish) and Hydrozoa (small jellyfish), and excludes Anthozoa (corals and sea anemones). This suggests that the medusa form evolved after
336-405: A medusa stage in their often complex life cycle, a medusa typically being an umbrella-shaped body with stinging tentacles around the edge. With the exception of some Hydrozoa (and Polypodiozoa), all are called jellyfish in their free-swimming medusa phase. The phylum Cnidaria is widely accepted as being monophyletic and consisting of two clades, Anthozoa and Medusozoa. Anthozoa includes
378-417: A medusa which separates and swims away. Staurozoa is a small group commonly known as stalked jellyfish. The animals remain attached to the substrate by a stalk at the opposite end from the mouth. Staurozoans can be regarded as large polyps that have partially differentiated into sexually mature medusae. These spawn gametes which develop into non-swimming planulae that crawl away to new locations. Hydrozoa
420-401: A process known as strobilation . Cubozoa is a group commonly known as box jellyfish, that occur in tropical and warm temperate seas. They have cube-shaped, transparent medusae and are heavily-armed with venomous nematocysts. Cubozoans have planula larvae, which settle and develop into sessile polyps, which subsequently metamorphose into sexual medusae, the oral end of each polyp changing into
462-414: A similar appearance live in fresh water . Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. The medusae of most species are fast-growing, and mature within a few months then die soon after breeding, but the polyp stage, attached to the seabed, may be much more long-lived. Jellyfish have been in existence for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them
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#1732880917997504-662: A single type, there being nematocysts but no spirocysts or ptychocysts. In contrast, the anthozoan life cycle involves a planula larva which settles and becomes a sessile polyp, which is the adult or sexual phase. There is considerable divergence from the basic life cycle pattern among medusozoans. Scyphozoa is the group commonly known as "true jellyfish" and occur in tropical, temperate and polar seas worldwide. Scyphozoans generally have planula larvae that develop into sessile polyps. These reproduce asexually, producing similar polyps by budding, and then either transform into medusae, or repeatedly bud medusae from their upper surface in
546-450: A solid surface by a basal disk, and resemble a polyp, the oral end of which has partially developed into a medusa with tentacle-bearing lobes and a central manubrium with four-sided mouth. Most jellyfish do not have specialized systems for osmoregulation , respiration and circulation , and do not have a central nervous system . Nematocysts, which deliver the sting, are located mostly on the tentacles; true jellyfish also have them around
588-463: Is a common name, its mapping to biological groups is inexact. Some authorities have called the comb jellies and certain salps jellyfish, though other authorities state that neither of these are jellyfish, which they consider should be limited to certain groups within the medusozoa. The non-medusozoan clades called jellyfish by some but not all authorities (both agreeing and disagreeing citations are given in each case) are indicated with " ??? " on
630-433: Is a large group of solitary and colonial cnidarians from both marine and freshwater environments worldwide. Hydrozoans exhibit the greatest variety of life cycles among medusozoans, with either the polyp or the medusa stage being missing in some groups. In general, medusae are budded laterally from polyps, become mature and spawn, releasing gametes into the water. The planulae may settle to become polyps or continue living in
672-439: Is an intermediary to a better understanding of how visual systems evolved on Earth. Jellyfish exhibit immense variation in visual systems ranging from photoreceptive cell patches seen in simple photoreceptive systems to more derived complex eyes seen in box jellyfish. Major topics of jellyfish visual system research (with an emphasis on box jellyfish) include: the evolution of jellyfish vision from simple to complex visual systems),
714-822: Is capable of multiple task-guided behaviors. Although they lack a true brain, cnidarian jellyfish have a "ring" nervous system that plays a significant role in motor and sensory activity. This net of nerves is responsible for muscle contraction and movement and culminates the emergence of photosensitive structures. Across Cnidaria , there is large variation in the systems that underlie photosensitivity. Photosensitive structures range from non-specialized groups of cells, to more "conventional" eyes similar to those of vertebrates . The general evolutionary steps to develop complex vision include (from more ancestral to more derived states): non-directional photoreception, directional photoreception, low-resolution vision, and high-resolution vision. Increased habitat and task complexity has favored
756-441: Is either part of the hydrozoan clade Leptothecata , or a sister taxon to Hydrozoa, and does not group with myxozoans. Ctenophora [REDACTED] Anthozoa [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Staurozoa [REDACTED] Hydrozoa [REDACTED] Polypodiozoa ? [REDACTED] Cubozoa [REDACTED] Scyphozoa [REDACTED] Bilateria [REDACTED] Medusozoans differ from anthozoans in having
798-409: Is the umbrella-shaped bell. This is a hollow structure consisting of a mass of transparent jelly-like matter known as mesoglea , which forms the hydrostatic skeleton of the animal. The mesoglea is 95% or more composed of water, and also contains collagen and other fibrous proteins, as well as wandering amebocytes that can engulf debris and bacteria. The mesogloea is bordered by the epidermis on
840-507: The classes Hexacorallia , the hard corals, and Octocorallia , the soft corals, as well as Ceriantharia , the tube-dwelling anemones. There is strong support for this group having been the first to branch off from the ancestral line. Medusozoa includes the classes Staurozoa , Cubozoa , Scyphozoa and Hydrozoa , but the relationships between these are unclear. Analysis using ribosomal RNA subunits suggests that within Medusozoa, Staurozoa
882-558: The green fluorescent protein used by some species for bioluminescence . This protein has been adapted as a fluorescent reporter for inserted genes and has had a large impact on fluorescence microscopy . The stinging cells used by jellyfish to subdue their prey can injure humans. Thousands of swimmers worldwide are stung every year, with effects ranging from mild discomfort to serious injury or even death. When conditions are favourable, jellyfish can form vast swarms, which may damage fishing gear by filling fishing nets, and sometimes clog
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#1732880917997924-580: The subphylum Medusozoa , which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria . Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals , although a few are anchored to the seabed by stalks rather than being motile. They are made of an umbrella-shaped main body made of mesoglea , known as the bell , and a collection of trailing tentacles on the underside. Via pulsating contractions, the bell can provide propulsion for locomotion through open water. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells and may be used to capture prey or to defend against predators. Jellyfish have
966-452: The bell pulsates, allowing box jellyfish to swim faster than true jellyfish. Hydrozoans are also similar, usually with just four tentacles at the edge of the bell, although many hydrozoans are colonial and may not have a free-living medusal stage. In some species, a non-detachable bud known as a gonophore is formed that contains a gonad but is missing many other medusal features such as tentacles and rhopalia. Stalked jellyfish are attached to
1008-426: The common moon jelly , Aurelia aurita , which migrates in response to changes in ambient light and solar position even though they lack proper eyes. Medusozoa Medusozoa is a clade in the phylum Cnidaria , and is often considered a subphylum. It includes the classes Hydrozoa , Scyphozoa , Staurozoa and Cubozoa , and possibly the parasitic Polypodiozoa . Medusozoans are distinguished by having
1050-448: The cooling systems of power and desalination plants which draw their water from the sea. The name jellyfish, in use since 1796, has traditionally been applied to medusae and all similar animals including the comb jellies ( ctenophores , another phylum). The term jellies or sea jellies is more recent, having been introduced by public aquaria in an effort to avoid use of the word "fish" with its modern connotation of an animal with
1092-421: The exterior, perhaps supplying good oxygenation to the gonads. Near the free edges of the septa, gastric filaments extend into the gastric cavity; these are armed with nematocysts and enzyme-producing cells and play a role in subduing and digesting the prey. In some scyphozoans, the gastric cavity is joined to radial canals which branch extensively and may join a marginal ring canal. Cilia in these canals circulate
1134-694: The eye morphology and molecular structures of box jellyfish (including comparisons to vertebrate eyes), and various uses of vision including task-guided behaviors and niche specialization. Experimental evidence for photosensitivity and photoreception in cnidarians antecedes the mid 1900s, and a rich body of research has since covered evolution of visual systems in jellyfish. Jellyfish visual systems range from simple photoreceptive cells to complex image-forming eyes. More ancestral visual systems incorporate extraocular vision (vision without eyes) that encompass numerous receptors dedicated to single-function behaviors. More derived visual systems comprise perception that
1176-400: The fluid in a regular direction. The box jellyfish is largely similar in structure. It has a squarish, box-like bell. A short pedalium or stalk hangs from each of the four lower corners. One or more long, slender tentacles are attached to each pedalium. The rim of the bell is folded inwards to form a shelf known as a velarium which restricts the bell's aperture and creates a powerful jet when
1218-960: The following phylogenetic tree by the presence of citations. Names of included jellyfish, in English where possible, are shown in boldface; the presence of a named and cited example indicates that at least that species within its group has been called a jellyfish. Anthozoa (corals) Polypodiozoa and Myxozoa (parasitic cnidarians) Staurozoa ( stalked jellyfish ) [REDACTED] Cubozoa ( box jellyfish ) [REDACTED] Discomedusae [REDACTED] Coronatae ( crown jellyfish ) [REDACTED] Aplanulata [REDACTED] Siphonophorae [REDACTED] Some Leptothecata e.g. crystal jelly [REDACTED] Filifera e.g. red paper lantern jellyfish [REDACTED] Limnomedusae , e.g. flower hat jelly [REDACTED] Narcomedusae , e.g. cosmic jellyfish [REDACTED] The subphylum Medusozoa includes all cnidarians with
1260-510: The following cladogram of the animal kingdom: Porifera Ctenophora (comb jellies) ??? [REDACTED] Cnidaria [REDACTED] (includes jellyfish and other jellies) Protostomia Ambulacraria Tunicata (includes salps ) ??? [REDACTED] Vertebrata Jellyfish are not a clade , as they include most of the Medusozoa, barring some of the Hydrozoa. The medusozoan groups included by authorities are indicated on
1302-497: The following general definition: Typically, medusozoan cnidarians have a pelagic , predatory jellyfish stage in their life cycle; staurozoans are the exceptions [as they are stalked]. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines jellyfish as follows: A free-swimming marine coelenterate that is the sexually reproducing form of a hydrozoan or scyphozoan and has a nearly transparent saucer-shaped body and extensible marginal tentacles studded with stinging cells. Given that jellyfish
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1344-510: The high-resolution visual systems common in derived cnidarians such as box jellyfish . Basal visual systems observed in various cnidarians exhibit photosensitivity representative of a single task or behavior. Extraocular photoreception (a form of non-directional photoreception), is the most basic form of light sensitivity and guides a variety of behaviors among cnidarians. It can function to regulate circadian rhythm (as seen in eyeless hydrozoans ) and other light-guided behaviors responsive to
1386-646: The intensity and spectrum of light. Extraocular photoreception can function additionally in positive phototaxis (in planula larvae of hydrozoans), as well as in avoiding harmful amounts of UV radiation via negative phototaxis . Directional photoreception (the ability to perceive direction of incoming light) allows for more complex phototactic responses to light, and likely evolved by means of membrane stacking. The resulting behavioral responses can range from guided spawning events timed by moonlight to shadow responses for potential predator avoidance. Light-guided behaviors are observed in numerous scyphozoans including
1428-600: The late Ediacaran . Burgessomedusa from the mid- Cambrian Burgess Shale is the oldest known free-living medusa (commonly known as jellyfish). The affinities of the class Polypodiozoa , containing the single species Polypodium hydriforme , have long been unclear. This species is an endoparasite of fish eggs and has a peculiar life cycle. It has traditionally been considered to be a cnidarian because of its possession of nematocysts, but molecular studies using 18S rDNA sequences have placed it closer to Myxozoa . Further studies involving 28S rDNA sequences suggest that it
1470-470: The mouth and stomach. Jellyfish do not need a respiratory system because sufficient oxygen diffuses through the epidermis. They have limited control over their movement, but can navigate with the pulsations of the bell-like body; some species are active swimmers most of the time, while others largely drift. The rhopalia contain rudimentary sense organs which are able to detect light, water-borne vibrations, odour and orientation. A loose network of nerves called
1512-447: The mouth, which also functions as the anus, at its tip. There are often four oral arms connected to the manubrium, streaming away into the water below. The mouth opens into the gastrovascular cavity , where digestion takes place and nutrients are absorbed. This is subdivided by four thick septa into a central stomach and four gastric pockets. The four pairs of gonads are attached to the septa, and close to them four septal funnels open to
1554-500: The oldest multi-organ animal group. Jellyfish are eaten by humans in certain cultures. They are considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, where species in the Rhizostomeae order are pressed and salted to remove excess water. Australian researchers have described them as a "perfect food": sustainable and protein-rich but relatively low in food energy . They are also used in cell and molecular biology research, especially
1596-402: The open lagoon, where they feed, and back again. Box jellyfish have more advanced vision than the other groups. Each individual has 24 eyes, two of which are capable of seeing colour, and four parallel information processing areas that act in competition, supposedly making them one of the few kinds of animal to have a 360-degree view of its environment. The study of jellyfish eye evolution
1638-415: The outside and the gastrodermis on the inside. The edge of the bell is often divided into rounded lobes known as lappets , which allow the bell to flex. In the gaps or niches between the lappets are dangling rudimentary sense organs known as rhopalia , and the margin of the bell often bears tentacles. On the underside of the bell is the manubrium, a stalk-like structure hanging down from the centre, with
1680-448: The polyps. Medusozoans have tetramerous symmetry, with parts in fours or multiples of four. The four major classes of medusozoan Cnidaria are: There are over 200 species of Scyphozoa, about 50 species of Staurozoa, about 50 species of Cubozoa, and the Hydrozoa includes about 1000–1500 species that produce medusae, but many more species that do not. Since jellyfish have no hard parts, fossils are rare. The oldest unambiguous fossil of
1722-404: The rhopalia include ocelli , light-sensitive organs able to tell light from dark. These are generally pigment spot ocelli, which have some of their cells pigmented. The rhopalia are suspended on stalks with heavy crystals at one end, acting like gyroscopes to orient the eyes skyward. Certain jellyfish look upward at the mangrove canopy while making a daily migration from mangrove swamps into
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1764-406: Was the first group to diverge, with Cubozoa and Scyphozoa forming a clade, a sister group to Hydrozoa. Further study involving the order of mitochondrial genes supports this view, and their possession of linear mitochondrial genomes is striking evidence of the monophyly of medusozoans. The stem group of Medusozoa also includes Auroralumina attenboroughii , the earliest known animal predator from
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