Life cycle of jellyfish is similar to the life cycle of coral or a dinoflagellate.
Medusa (Mature Jellyfish)
Floats around the surface of ocean and reproduces, releasing millions of eggs.
Medusa (Mature Jellyfish)
Floats around the surface of ocean and reproduces, releasing millions of eggs.
Planula / Larva
Once the egg is fertilized, the eggs form into planula and the planula continues to float around the ocean until it finds a suitable substrate (surface on which an organism lives), often concrete or rock.
Once the egg is fertilized, the eggs form into planula and the planula continues to float around the ocean until it finds a suitable substrate (surface on which an organism lives), often concrete or rock.
Polyp
Colonizes substrate and reproduces asexually, forming new polyps.
Colonizes substrate and reproduces asexually, forming new polyps.
Budding Polyp
The polyps what have been produced asexually will grow and bud to form colonies.
The polyps what have been produced asexually will grow and bud to form colonies.
Medusa
Once the environmental conditions (such as the temperature / nutrient level) are set, the polyp will again reproduce asexually to form the new medusa stage, which ten grows into the mature jellyfish.
Once the environmental conditions (such as the temperature / nutrient level) are set, the polyp will again reproduce asexually to form the new medusa stage, which ten grows into the mature jellyfish.
Life Cycle of Turritopsis Dohrnii (Immortal Jellyfish)
- When this jellyfish gets environmental stress, such as it can’t find food or gets injured, it throws the life cycle into reverse (returning to its early stage of life). It deteriorates its bell and tentacles and becomes a cyst since it has the ability to reactivate its genetic instructions from earlier in its life cycle. Then, it starts to produce new polyp cells and the process of the life cycle begins again.
- The process of transforming cells into a younger state is called transdifferentiation.
- The study of this jellyfish is important since the scientists have been studying ways to regenerate new tissue and for treats to diseases.
- When this jellyfish gets environmental stress, such as it can’t find food or gets injured, it throws the life cycle into reverse (returning to its early stage of life). It deteriorates its bell and tentacles and becomes a cyst since it has the ability to reactivate its genetic instructions from earlier in its life cycle. Then, it starts to produce new polyp cells and the process of the life cycle begins again.
- The process of transforming cells into a younger state is called transdifferentiation.
- The study of this jellyfish is important since the scientists have been studying ways to regenerate new tissue and for treats to diseases.