Craspedacusta sowerbii

Craspedacusta sowerbii

Did you know that there are Jellyfish that don't live in the ocean? Now you do!

Today's species is Craspedacusta sowerbii, and it is found in calm freshwater bodies of water, like lakes, reservoirs, and slow moving rivers and streams.

These Jellyfish have actually have a distribution that spans the entire globe. They have been located on nearly every continent (sorry Antarctica) and in almost every single U.S. State. However, you won't see them constantly-- they pop up randomly, sometimes in bodies of water where they have never been seen before!

Craspedacusta sowerbii is able to move from place to place because during colder months their polyps contract and become podocysts. These Podocysts attach to other plants and animals that carry the Jellyfish to new places. And because they reproduce asexually, they are able to massively expand their populations very quickly.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa
Size : Diameter around 1in
Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Hydrozoa -- Order : Limnomedusae
Family : Olindiidae -- Genus : Craspedacusta-- Species : C. sowerbii
Image : Microscopy-UK

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Purple-striped Jelly

Chrysaora colorata

The Purple-striped Jelly is a large Jellyfish that is named for the violet radial strip
es that cover its bell. They can be found off of the coast of California, primarily in the Monterey Bay area.

These Jellies can grow to a pretty good size-- their bell diameter can measure upwards of two feet! As adults they have the aforementioned Bell Stripes, but as juveniles they have a more subdued coloration, with very dark tentacles. As the Jelly ages, the bell stripes appear but the tentacles lighten in color. And did you know that Purple-striped Jellies often have hitchhikers-- certain species of Cancer crab will hitch rides in the bell!

These critters are popular in Aquariums, but they never really reach the large sizes that are found in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Coastal California
Size : Bell up to 2.3ft (.7m) in diameter

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Scyphozoa Order : Semaeostomeae
Family : Pelagiidae -- Genus : Chrysaora -- Species  : C. colorata

Image : Captmondo

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Flower Hat Jelly

Olindias formosa

Flower Hat Jellies are pretty easy to recognize-- these Cnidarians have translucent bells that are covered in dark pinstripes. In addition to that, they have short-looking tentacles that coil up close to the body, giving them a more compact look. Overall they are small in size, sporting diameters of around 6in.

You will find the Flower Hat Jellies swimming in the Pacific Ocean, in the waters near Japan. They feed mainly on small fishes, which they catch using their stinging tentacles.

If you are a human who gets stung by a Flower Hat, you'll feel some pain. These stings are not lethal.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific
Size : Diameter up to 6in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Hydrozoa -- Order : Limnomedusae
Family : Olindiidae -- Genus : Olindias -- Species : O. formosa

Image : kenpei

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Elkhorn Coral

Acropora palmata

Elkhorn Coral is a very large, very fast growing Coral that can be found in the Caribbean waters, at depths of up to 30m. because of their fast growth they make wonderful reef builders, and have massive branches that can grow well over 6ft a piece. These branches resemble antlers, hence the name.

Elkhorn Coral reproduce asexually. Branches of it break off and form new colonies after the reattach in the substrate. They reproduce sexually as well, spawning millions of gametes into the water column once a year. The resulting larvae (if they live long enough) can then form new colonies. Sexual reproduction exists int he species so that there is genetic diversity. However, so few larvae survive that is expected that the diversity is actually very low at this point, with most new Coral colonies created asexually.

Like many of the animals we have been talking about in the past few days, Elkhorn Coral is also dangerously close to extinction. In some locations they have declined by 80-90% since 1980. This is due to disease, bleaching, natural disasters, changes in water quality, and the aforementioned low genetic diversity. The population is being managed, and restoration efforts are taking place... though with mixed results.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Caribbean Sea
Size : Diameter up to 12ft (3.7m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Anthozoa -- Order : Scleractinia
Family : Acroporidae -- Genus : Acropora -- Species : A. palmata

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Tall Sea Pen

Funiculina quadrangularis

The Tall Sea Pen, like all Sea Pens, is a relative to Sea Anemones and Corals. And like Coral, though they may look like one creature, they are actually comprised of several organisms called polyps. These polyps, which are pale in color and possess eight tiny tentacles each, gather onto an axis, a long structure made of calcium carbonate. The species name, quadrangularis, actually refers to the cross-section shape of this axis-- a square.

Tall Sea Pens have a very interesting distribution. You'll find them near the British Isles and the North Atlantic, but you'll also find them way over by New Zealand and Japan as well-- halfway around the world! They live in colonies that can form literal Sea Pen forests, and exist at depths of between 20 and 2,300 feet. A large specimen can grow over 2 meters tall!

The aforementioned polyp tentacles are what allow this Cnidarian to feed. They sway in the water and pick up floating substrate using a method called suspension feeding. The polyps also have unique sexes to them, and each colony will only have polyps of the same sex on it.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North Atlantic, South Pacific
Size : Length up to 7ft (2.1m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Octocorallia -- Order : Pennatulacea
Family : Funiculinidae -- Genus : Funiculina -- Species : F. quadrangularis

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Spotted Jelly

Mastigias papua

The Spotted Jelly is a neat little Jellyfish that hails from the shallow lagoons and bays of the Indian and Pacific Oceans (Theya re also sometimes referred to as Lagoon Jellyfish). They aren't especially, large, but aren't by any means tiny either. They can grow to lengths of around 1ft (30cm), with bell diameters of about 4in (12cm).

Each Spotted Jelly has four interesting little arms that each have mouth openings on them. That's right, they don't have just one mouth, they have a whole bunch of mouths! They use all those tiny mouths to feed on different kinds of Zooplankton.

Because they only eat really tiny things, small fish sometimes hang out near the Jellies. Like many jellyfish, this particular species has the ability to inject toxins into attackers, so the little fish will actually swim up inside the bell to stay safe! (The toxin will cause pain and nausea in humans, but there have been no reported deaths)

Spotted Jellies are normally solitary, but sometimes groups will form when they swim towards the surface during the daytime (they then descend deeper at night). They are able to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexually reproduction takes places only during times when water is cooler, but asexual reproduction (through budding) can happen year round.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Southern Pacific Ocean
Size :  Body diameter around 4in (12cm)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Scyphozoa -- Order : Rhizostomeae
Family : Mastigiidae -- Genus : Mastigias -- Species : M. papua

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Staghorn Coral

Acropora cervicornis

Today we delve into the story of the Staghorn Coral, a really cool species that is very quickly going extinct.

Staghorn Corals are named for their deer antler-like shape, and their individual branches can grow up to 2m long. They are the fastest growing of all the western Atlantic Corals, capable of adding on another 4-8in each year. Staghorn Coral has a relationship with algae, and the Coral gets most of its food from the byproducts of the algaes' photosynthesis.

Unfortunately they are a species that does not handle change very well, and  even slight variations in temperature or water salinity can damage and even kill the polyps. Hurricanes, White Band Disease, Algae overgrowth, increased predation, and human interaction has caused a 98% population decline since 1980.

Staghorn Coral is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and was placed on the United States Endangered Species List in 2006. Efforts are being made to revitalize the species, including retattaching broken branches, but the future of the Staghorn Coral is still very much in question. Not helping matters is the fact that the Coral primarily reproduces asexually. Fragments break off and then reattach elsewhere to create new Corals. While this works to repopulate after hurricanes and other natural events, it doesn't work well in cases of disease and bleaching. Lack of genetic diversity can hurt the revitalization of the species.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Size : Branches can grow up to 6.5ft (2m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Anthozoa -- Order : Scleractinia
Family : Acroporidae -- Genus : Acropora -- Species : A. cervicornis

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Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Cyanea capillata

Way back in 1870, a Lion's Mane Jellyfish washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay. Jellyfish wash up all the time, but this one was special... this one has a bell that was 7'6" in diameter and tentacles that were nearly 120 ft long! That means that the Lion's Mane Jellyfish might just be the longest animal alive!

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish doesn't always grow that large. In fact, most of the time their bell is only around a few feet wide, and those that live in the warmer waters max out around a foot and a half. Basically, the colder the water the larger they grow! The species is rarely found at latitudes lower than 42 degrees, and are nonexistent in the Southern Hemisphere.

All Lion's Manes, regardless of size, have tentacles that are clustered into eight segments. There are at least 65 tentacles per segment, though there can be as many as 150, and these tentacles can grow over 100ft long!

If you touch the tentacle of a Lion's Mane Jellyfish, you will probably get stung.. which results in blistering, irritation, and muscle cramps. Stings are not thought to be fatal to humans.

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IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : High latitude oceans
Size : Bell Diameter up to 8.2ft (2.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Scyphozoa -- Order : Semaeostomeae
Family : Cyaneidae -- Genus : Cyanea -- Species : C. capillata

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Brain Coral

Platygyra daedalea is one of the more common species of Corals referred to as "Brain Corals." All are members of the family Faviidae. This particular example is found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Brain Corals are so named because of their tendency to resemble an animal brain, with a spherical shapes and curving grooves. This particular species grows around 1m in diameter

(Image Source)

What we see as a Brain Coral is actually the hard protective exterior created by multitudes of tiny polyps. The polyps gain nurishment with help from microscopic zooxanthellae algae. The algae lives within the groves of the Coral, staying protected. In return, it provides the coral with energy rich molecules via photosynthesis. This important relationship requires that the Brain Coral live in shallow waters that sunlight is able to reach.

Brain Coral polyps are hermaphroditic, and each polyp is able to produce both sperm and eggs. Polyps can also reproduce asexually through budding, which means that a new organism grows directly from the parent before eventually splitting off. This particular species of Brain Coral is known to be semi-aggressive. It has tentacles that extend at night that are able to harm other Corals, allowing it to compete for space.

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Moon Jellyfish

(Image Source)

Aurelia aurita is an exceptionally abundant species of Jellyfish that can be found throughout the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere. Moon Jellyfish range in size from 5 to 40cm in diameter, and are most easily recognized by their translucent bodies (the top part is known as the medusa) and four, horse-shoe shaped gonads visible in the dome.

Interestingly, Moon Jellyfish have no real respiratory parts. Instead, it obtains oxygen by passing it from the water through its membrane. They also have no excretory or circulatory systems as we commonly known them. They do however, have distinct males and females, who reproduce sexually.

(Image Source)

Moon Jellyfish feed primarily on zooplankton, including small mollusks and crustaceans. Their tentacles have venomous nematocysts on them, which help to capture and trap food on their mucus-covered exterior. Their tentacles then push the food along eight different canals which run into the stomach. These canals are unique to the species.

Moon Jellyfish swim by making pulsing movements with their medusa. The main purpose of swimming is not to move about, but to keep them near the surface in order to feed. They depend on the tides and currents for most of their movement.

Moon Jellyfish are preyed upon by fish like the Mola Mola, Seabirds, and Sea Turtles. Their lifespan is only a few months long.

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Sea Anemone

Though they look quite plant-like, Sea Anemones are actually animals. Animals of the order Actiniaria to be exact. There are over 1,000 species, which come in various shapes and sizes, and live in every ocean on the planet. The largest and most colorful Anemones are found in coastal, tropical waters, but other species can be found in the deep oceans, and even off the frigid shores of Antarctica! Anemones are everywhere!

Deep Sea Anemone (Image Source)

All Sea Anemones are carnivores, and can range in size (depending on species) between a few millimeters and several feet! They are often radially symmetric with an adhesive foot (pedal disc) that keeps them stuck in place, though there are a handful of free floating species as well.

Sea Anemones also have a single mouth opening that is surrounded by tentacles. Their tentacles serve two purposes. The first is protection. You see, the slightest touch causes the tentacles to shoot out a neurotoxin-filled filament. This toxin paralyzes and then leads to the second purpose of the tentacles: feeding. The Anemone then uses them to push the paralyzed creature into their mouth opening. Interestingly, their mouth opening is the only orifice an Anemone has, so it also serves as the final stop in their digestive system.

Clownfish with Anemone (Image Source)

Sea Anemones reproduce in a variety of ways, dependent on the species. Some have both males and females, while other Anemones are hermaphroditic. Both sexual and asexual reproduction occur, with sexual taking place externally via the release of sperm and egg into the water. One method of asexual reproduction occurs by breaking off part of the pedal disc, which is then able to grow into new, small Anemones!

Anemones are famous for their symbiotic relationship with the ever so adorable Clownfish. Clownfish have a protective layer of mucus on their body that keeps them safe from Anemone venom. They are then able to hide safely within an Anemone's tentacles, and in return for protection, the Anemone receives bits of the Clwonfishes' meals.

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Portuguese Man Of War

The Portuguese Man Of War, found in the world's warm water oceans,  is a very interesting animal indeed. First off, it is not a jellyfish. Even though it may look like a Jellyfish, and sting like a Jellyfish, (more on that later) it is a siphonophore, an animal that is actually made up of multiple organisms working together. How does this work exactly? Well, the Man Of War consists of four distinct parts, a gas-filled bladder (the pneumatophore), the tentacles which can detect and capture prey, a polyp containing digestive organs, and a polyp for reproduction.

Image from ImageQuest

The Man Of War takes its name from part #1- the gas-filled bladder. This polyp rests atop the water and has a sail like appearance ala a Portuguese battleship. This polyp can reach up to a foot in length and extend 6 inches above the water. The Man of War is only able to float and has very little control over its movements, which is why they tend to wash up on shore. The other three polyp types rest underneath the float. The long tentacles can reach lengths of 165ft, and are covered with nematocystic structures that sting and paralyze prey. Following that, muscles in the tentacles draw the meal up to the digestive polyps, which then cover and digest. The fourth polyp, as previously mentioned, relates to reproduction. The Man Of War (Men Of War?) fertilize externally, releasing the sperm and eggs into the sea.

The stingers of a Man Of War can be dangerous to humans, though are not often fatal. A sting causes immediate redness and burning pain followed by a string of lesions appeared at the sting site. Treatment for a sting involves the careful removal of any remaining tentacle pieces, rinsing with salt water, and the application of topical ointments. It can sometimes take 6-8 weeks for symptoms to fully disappear and more dangerous symptoms, including increased heart rate and difficulty breathing, can arise.

But enough of the scary stuff! The Portuguese Man Of War does have predators despite its nasty sting. Loggerhead Turtles have a fondness for them, as their skin is too thick to be affected by the stingers. There are also a handful of fish that are immune to the venom. This allows them to either eat the Man Of War, or to use it as a safe heaven to hide from other predators.

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