Dotted root mouth jellyfish
| Dotted root mouth jellyfish | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phyllorhiza punctata | ||||||||||||
| Lendenfeld , 1884 |
The spotted root-mouth jellyfish ( Phyllorhiza punctata ) is an umbrella jellyfish whose original range was in the Pacific and Indian Oceans , but has also been sighted as an invasive organism in the Gulf of Mexico in recent decades . It is one of the largest jellyfish on earth.
distribution
The original distribution of this species was in the Pacific and Indian Oceans from Australia to the Philippines . But it has been sighted off Central America and in the Gulf of Mexico since 2000 ; however, it may have been discovered earlier in this region. It is believed that it was introduced.
features
The jellyfish umbrella is transparent to slightly bluish and rather flat with a diameter of up to 35 centimeters. Large animals can be twice the diameter. The dotted root-mouth jellyfish is therefore one of the largest jellyfish on earth. The screen has several white, crystalline and refractive points. As is typical for species of the root-mouth jellyfish, there are no tentacles at the edge of the umbrella. The oral tube ( manubrium ) consists of eight dichotomously arranged arms with villi-like extensions. Each arm bears 14 folds of skin that have grown together at their base. In its original distribution area can be found in their tissues symbiotically living zooxanthellae that produce a brown ink.
Dotted root mouth jellyfish from below in the Berlin Zoological Garden
Dotted root mouth jellyfish from above
group
_edit.jpg)
Way of life
Animals in the medusa phase are seen in large numbers, especially during the summer months, and practically disappear completely in the winter months. The reason lies in the two different stages of life. One phase is a polyp phase , during which you sit firmly on a surface, the other phase is the freely swimming medusa phase. Especially during the warm and light months, the polyps produce ephyral larvae , which can lead to an almost explosive increase in the number of medusa.
Reproduction
Sexual reproduction takes place during the medusa phase. The jellyfish form gametes ( haploid sex cells ), which fuse to form zygotes (a combination of two gametes with a complete set of chromosomes ) outside the jellyfish body . These zygotes then develop Planulalarven that attach themselves to a solid surface and take so the polyp phase.
During asexual reproduction, the polyps pinch off Ephyra larvae, which then form small medusa . The production of Ephyra larvae occurs throughout the life of the polyp, but increases during the warm and bright season.
Ingestion
The mouth tube arms carry nettle cells with which they can filter plankton from the sea.
Systematics
There are several taxonomic synonyms for this species of jellyfish:
- Mastigias ocellatus , Modeer, 1791
- Mastigias albipunctatus , Stiasny , 1920
- Mastigias andersoni , Stiasny, 1926
- Mastigias scintillae , Soares Moreira, 1961
- Cotylorhiza pacifica , Mayer, 1915
- Cotylorhizoides pacificus , Light, 1921
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Description page from Smithsonian Marine Station at Force Pierce [1] , accessed July 9, 2008
- ↑ Report of the US Geological Survey Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed July 9, 2008
