Moon Jellyfish Essay

Moon Jellyfish are in the Animalia Kingdom, Phylum Cnidaria, Class Scyphozoan, Order Semaeostomeae, Family Ulmaridae, and Genus Aurelia ( Myers, 2016 Espinosa, 2016 Parr, 2016 Jones, 2026 Hammond, 2016 Dewey, 2016). There is a huge amount of cnidarian species, roughly about 9,000 including the jellyfish, sea anemone, and coral. (Animal Kingdom 2016). Myers states the Cnidarians have two body forms medusa and polyp (2001). These two body form help describe the jellyfish. Medusae is an adult jellyfish which are characterized by free-swimming or floating. On the other hand, Polyps are fit in one place. They have tubular bodies one end is attached to the substrate, and a mouth (usually surrounded by tentacles) is found at the other end (Myers 2001).The moon jellyfish have a unique image. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation states that the moon jellies have little fringe that curve food towards the mucous layer (2016). Also, an interesting way the moon jellyfish store their prey in pouches and once their oral arm pick the food up, the jelly then digest it. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation states that "...the coloration of a moon jelly often changes depending on its diet." (2016). Moon jellyfish are a unique in all sorts of ways and learning more about them as well as where they live.
The range distribution of the Moon Jellyfish are seen around "Monterey Bay and along the California coast, and in the waters off the East Coast, Europe, Japan and the Gulf of Mexico" (Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation 2016). Since the jellyfish hangout close to shore maybe that's why they are found washed up on the sand. The habitat of the moon jellyfish live in brackish waters with a low salt content of 0.6% (Rodriguez 1999). The seasonality of the moon jellyfish is between the spring and summer time. Myers states Cnidarians may be monoecious or dioecious and the result of sexual reproduction is a planula larva (2001). The moon jellyfish offer eggs and sperm every day, which can leave them weak and hungry and this may lead to death for some (Bioexpedition 2015). Their behavior depends on their food supply. Moreover, moon jellyfish are amazing marine animals learning about their behavior from others and habitat make them different.
Moon jellyfishes swimming helps keep them close to the surface. "They swim horizontally, keeping the bell near the surface at all times" (Rodriguez 1999). The species forage are mollusks and plankton they will also consume eggs and various types of mollusks (Bio Expedition 2015). The jellyfish seem to have a huge appetite which makes them eat at any time of the day. The moon jellyfish need protein, carbs, and lipids to survive (Bioexpedition 2015). They have interesting behavior when in need of survival they can consume brine shrimp and live. (Bioexpedition 2015). The jellyfish are growing and their predators are reducing which gives them a chance of survival (National Aquarium 2015). The predators of these moon jellyfish are sea turtles, birds and the humans (Bioexpedition 2015).