Jellyfish have been in existence for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal group. 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. ![]() Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. ![]() Scyphozoans (the "true jellyfish") are exclusively marine, but some hydrozoans with a similar appearance live in freshwater. Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea. Jellyfish have a complex life cycle the medusa is normally the sexual phase, which produces planula larvae that disperse widely and enter a sedentary polyp phase before reaching sexual maturity. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells and may be used to capture prey and defend against predators. The bell can pulsate to provide propulsion for highly efficient locomotion. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles, although a few are anchored to the seabed by stalks rather than being mobile. Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. ![]() Spotted jellies swimming in a Tokyo aquarium Pacific sea nettle ( Chrysaora fuscescens)Ĭladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa For other uses, see Jellyfish (disambiguation). For similar animals, see gelatinous zooplankton. This article is about the aquatic animal-form.
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