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| Facts about Moon jellyfish |
Short tentacles line the ridge of their bell. Moon jellies are carnivorous. They feed on plankton-like fish eggs and larval fish. Food is collected on the tentacles and the mucous surface of the jellyfish. Their tentacles carry stinging cells called nematocysts that stun prey and deter predators. Animals like sea turtles and ocean sunfish will regularly consume jellyfish.
The sting of a moon jellyfish is very mild
The sting of a moon jellyfish is very mild Their life cycle contains both asexual and sexual reproduction. Tiny fertilized eggs released by adults, develop into larvae. The larvae drift with the ocean current and eventually attach themselves to the seafloor. An attached larva will grow into a polypThe sting of a moon jellyfish is very mildTheir life cycle contains both asexual and sexual reproduction. Tiny fertilized eggs released by adults, develop into larvae. The larvae drift with the ocean current and eventually attach themselves to the seafloor. An attached larva will grow into a polyp into larvae. The larvae drift with the ocean current and eventually attach themselves to the seafloor. An attached larva will grow into a polyp
Eventually, several clones of the polyp will bud off and drift away. These clones develop into juveniles that possess eight arms. And they eventually develop into adult moon jellyfish. Adults can reach over 1 foot (.3 m) long. It was recently discovered that if a juvenile moon jellyfish loses any of its limbs due to predation, it has the ability to rearrange its remaining arms to be symmetrical around their body.
Symmetry is very important for a jellyfish to be able to swim properly. Moon jellyfish are very abundant, even though adults usually don’t live for more than one year. They reproduce best in nutrient-rich waters. Nutrient pollution by human activities has caused an increase in jellyfish populations in many areas of the world. Many of the moon jellyfish’s predators have been removed by overfishing.