What is the jellyfish life cycle?
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What is the jellyfish life cycle?
Jellyfish have a stalked (polyp) phase, when they are attached to coastal reefs, and a jellyfish (medusa) phase, when they float among the plankton. The medusa is the reproductive stage; their eggs are fertilised internally and develop into free-swimming planula larvae.
How does Scyphozoa reproduce?
The scyphistoma reproduces asexually, producing similar polyps by budding, and then either transforming into a medusa, or budding several medusae off from its upper surface via a process called strobilation. The medusae are initially microscopic and may take years to reach sexual maturity.
What are the characteristics of Scyphozoa?
Scyphozoans exhibit the main characteristics of cnidarians. They have radial symmetry and are diploblastic, meaning that their body wall consists of the outer epidermis (ectoderm) and the inner gastrodermis (endoderm), which are separated by mesoglea. They have nematocysts, which are characteristic of the phylum.
Are Scyphozoa polyps?
All scyphozoan polyps have columnar bodies that attach to a hard substrate at the aboral surface. The oral surface is composed of a ring of tentacles surrounding a central mouth, collectively known as the oral disc. All polyps have cord muscles, which they use in retraction.
What are the 4 main stages of the jelly life cycle?
The main phases include the larva, polyp, and medusa.
- Planula Larva. The first step of the jellyfish life cycle is when the jellyfish is the smallest.
- Polyp. Once the larva finds something it can hold and attach to, it starts the next phase called a polyp.
- Budding Polyp. The polyp stage can last over a year.
How many life cycles does a jellyfish have?
The fact is, though, that jellyfish have complex life cycles, in which they go through no less than six different developmental stages. In the following slides, well take you through the life cycle of a jellyfish, all the way from fertilized egg to full-grown adult.
Do jellyfish have life cycles?
True jellyfish have a complex life cycle that allows them to quickly take advantage of favorable environmental conditions. This is achieved by alternating with each generation between reproducing sexually (with sperm fertilizing eggs) and asexually (by cloning themselves).
What is the lifespan of a jellyfish?
Most jellyfish are short lived. Medusa or adult jellyfish typically live for a few months, depending on the species, although some species can live for 2-3 years in captivity. Polyps can live and reproduce asexually for several years, or even decades. One jellyfish species is almost immortal.
What is unique about class scyphozoa?
Scyphozoans exhibit the main characteristics of cnidarians. They have radial symmetry and are diploblastic, meaning that their body wall consists of the outer epidermis (ectoderm) and the inner gastrodermis (endoderm), which are separated by mesoglea. They have nematocysts, which are characteristic of the phylum.
What makes Scyphozoa different?
Scyphozoans share a number of attributes with other cnidarians: (1) they typically possess tentacles, (2) their symmetry is radial, (3) the body wall consists of an outer epidermis and inner gastrodermis, separated by a layer of jelly-like mesoglea, (4) the mouth is the only opening to the digestive system, (5)
What is the life cycle of Scyphozoa?
Most scyphozoan jellyfishesincluding most of the large jellyfish with which many people are familiarhave a two part life cycle: free-swimming medusa and bottom-dwelling polyp (although there are notable exceptions).
What asexual process is unique to scyphozoans?
Polyps of the Cassiopeidae family possess a unique type of asexual reproduction by producing free-swimming buds planuloids. The process of planuloid development and transformation to polyp has been described earlier, however, the source of tissue formation is still poorly studied.
What are 5 characteristics of a cnidarian?
The five main characteristics of cnidarians are:
- Radial symmetry.
- Diploblastic animals.
- Tissue level of organisation.
- Presence of cnidoblasts with stinging nematocysts on the tentacles.
- Polymorphism and have two body forms, i.e. polyp and medusa.
How do you identify Scyphozoa?
Scyphozoans share a number of attributes with other cnidarians: (1) they typically possess tentacles, (2) their symmetry is radial, (3) the body wall consists of an outer epidermis and inner gastrodermis, separated by a layer of jelly-like mesoglea, (4) the mouth is the only opening to the digestive system, (5)
What are some characteristics of jellyfish?
The body of a jellyfish exhibits radial symmetry and is divided into three main parts: the umbrella, the oral arms (around the mouth) and the stinging tentacles. They have an internal cavity, in which digestion is carried out. This cavity has a single aperture which functions both the mouth and the anus.
What are 4 characteristics of cnidarians?
All Cnidaria are aquatic, mostly marine, organisms. They all have tentacles with stinging cells called nematocysts that they use to capture food. Cnidarians only have two body layers, the ectoderm and endoderm, separated by a jelly-like layer called the mesoglea. Most Cnidarians have radial symmetry.
Does Scyphozoa have polyp?
Class Scyphozoa, an exclusively marine class of animals with about 200 known species, includes all the jellies. The defining characteristic of this class is that the medusa is the prominent stage in the life cycle, although there is a polyp stage present
Are Scyphozoa medusae or polyps?
The scyphozoan life cycle varies from order to order. The medusae are gonochoric. Fertilized eggs may be brooded for a time or may develop directly into a free-swimming, ciliated planula larva. A larva metamorphoses into a small polyp termed the scyphistoma.
Are jellyfish polyps?
Jellyfish have a stalked (polyp) phase, when they are attached to coastal reefs, and a jellyfish (medusa) phase, when they float among the plankton. The medusa is the reproductive stage; their eggs are fertilised internally and develop into free-swimming planula larvae.
Which cnidarian is a polyp?
Anthozoa
Which stage is the adult jellyfish?
medusa
What is the life cycle of the jellyfish for kids?
Eggs fertilized by sperm develop into a larval form (planula), which attaches to a rock or the seafloor and develops into a polyp, which is the asexual stage. The polyp reproduces by budding off immature medusas, which later develop into adult medusas.
What is the life cycle of a moon jelly?
Moon jellyfish have an average lifespan of approximately 8 to 12 months, allowing for slow growth during colder months, and faster growth during spring. After reaching sexual maturity, medusae shrink, release gametes, and typically die in the later spring and early summer season.
How does a jellyfish grow and develop?
2. These fertilized eggs will grow into a planktonic spore called a planula. These planulae will drift around until they come into contact with a hard surface like a rock or oyster shell. They then attach to the hard surface and transform into a polyp called a scyphistoma.
How many times does a jellyfish reproduce?
True jellyfish have a complex life cycle that allows them to quickly take advantage of favorable environmental conditions. This is achieved by alternating with each generation between reproducing sexually (with sperm fertilizing eggs) and asexually (by cloning themselves).