Watch Jellyfish Go Through Their “Stack of Pancakes” Phase | Deep Look
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Publicado 2023-12-19
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There’s a reason the ocean is full of moon jellyfish: They’re masters at multiplying themselves over and over.
The bell-shaped creature that most people think of as jellyfish is really just the animal’s adult form.
It’s hard to tell by looking at them, but there are male and female moon jellies. The males release sperm into the water and the females collect it to fertilize their eggs. Those eggs turn into larvae called planulae that mom sends out into the world.
Each planula larva does its best to settle on something solid -- like rock – and develops into a polyp that looks like a tiny sea anemone.
The polyps clone themselves through budding, in which a new polyp grows out of an existing polyp’s side.
When the conditions are right, the polyps go through another round of cloning called strobilation. They develop ridges along their sides that get more and more pronounced over time.
“The polyp will start to look like a stack of pancakes,” says Michael McGill, senior biologist at Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco.
Each individual pancake, called an ephyra, is a clone that eventually works itself free from the stack and swims off to grow into an adult.
“The feeling of watching them break free and swim off -- it's really inspiring,” says McGill.
--- Do jellyfish have brains?
Jellyfish don’t have a single centralized brain. But that hasn’t stopped them from being successful. They do have a nervous system called a nerve net or nerve ring that is radially distributed throughout their bodies.
--- What do Jellyfish eat?
Most jellyfish are carnivores that eat plankton, small fish, fish eggs and whatever other small prey they can catch with their stinging tentacles.
-- How do jellyfish sting?
Jellyfish have special stinging cells called nematocysts that line their tentacles. If something touches a nematocyst, it will pop, releasing a microscopic harpoon filled with venom. Jellyfish use their nematocyst-laced tentacles to catch prey and deter predators.
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Todos los comentarios (21)
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Ok, I had NO idea that jellyfish reproduced like that. I've never heard of animals making babies that multiplied themselves. That is so cool and almost unbelievable! The photography in this video is beautiful! I love you deep look ❤
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Jellies seem so alien, especially with their reproductive tendencies (and even the ones that return to polyp after some time spent in adulthood), they're one of the coolest and most interesting sea creatures imo
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This jellyfish life cycle makes the story of the stork carrying a baby more wholesome.
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Imagine all the weird alien creatures that sci-fi authors have given us, and all the while, Earth goes: "Oh yeah? Those squishy things with stinging tentacles with no brain? Imagine an entire stack of clones that wiggle free one-by-one. Oh, and those came from clones too. :)"
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I've seen illustrations of this for years, but never saw a video of it until now. I am so very happy to have finally seen it.
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When I was young, whenever I read about Jellyfish reproduction in my Encyclopedia, I was always perplexed on how does it work, it's so strange and fascinating. Thank you for the video on showing how it all works!
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Sea anemones are perfectly able to move about and even swim, after a fashion. Not well or quickly, but they can do it. They are like jellyfish who decided not to float free through the ocean.
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Now I understand why it's called jellyfish bloom. It looks like flowers blooming 🌸
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I had no idea that jellyfish once looked like an anemone!
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Even cloning upon cloning, only the smallest percentage will survive to adulthood. So to deal with predators either consistently be in large groups or good at dodging the ambushes. Man I would think with all those tentacles, they'll just bounce on their adversaries and jump like a jumping jellyfish.
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Imagine growing up in a stack of undefined flesh that slowly resolves itself into a pile of babies, and each baby just peels off the mass and tumbles down the pile once it’s fully grown.
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Whenever I see jellyfish I feel like I’m witnessing the first ever footage of extraterrestrial life 😱
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I never really thought how jellyfish grow in numbers, it all makes sense now
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What I'm interested in, is whether or not the leftover polyp bits return back to the polyp phase after all of the jellyfish are released.
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The lifestyle of the sea jelly is so successful that these guys have been around for millions of years! Also, you forgot to mention that jellyfish polyps duplicate the same way coral polyps do! This makes sense considering the fact the two are also related.
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That factoid about how the adult sea jelly gets its name? I had no idea that’s why they were called that. That is admittedly pretty cool.
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I am so glad you guys finally made a video about this! Ever since I learned about how jellyfish reproduce, I’ve shared it with as many friends as would listen. You guys get the best footage, and you explain things so clearly! I can’t wait to share this!
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Their reproductive cycle reminds me of plants, who have alternating generations of sporophytes and gametophytes.
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For the last time Jimmy, give me the remote! No? Okay, I didn't wanna say this but... you're a clone! Yes, you! And ever since you were a kid you've been... pancaked! That's right, you better leave. Here, let me help push you away!
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And on top of it, there is a jellyfish species that's immortal, going through their life cycle over and over again
