Jellyfish

The moon jellyfish (Cnidaria Scyphozoa Semaeostomeae Ulmaridae Aurelia spp.) are the most common jellyfish in the world. They are the clear to milky white jellies that are most often a few inches in diameter and usually have four horseshoe shaped marks in the middle of their bell (their gonads).

Scientists can be very picky about what they consider 'true jellyfish', and reserve that term only for members of the class, Scyphozoa, in the phylum, Cnidaria.

Meanwhile, here's a brief outline of what most normal people consider 'jellyfish'-

The phylum Cnidaria (ni-DA-re-a) contains most of the free swimming jellies, as well as the closely related sessile (attached) organisms. All Cnidarians sting. The four main classes are-

Scyphozoa, about 200 species including moon, sea nettle, lion's mane, mauve stinger, namoura's, mediterranean, and purple-striped jellies.

Cubozoa, (box jellies) about 20 species including the sea wasp (extremely venomous and deadly) and several Irukandji jellies (a bit less deadly, but longer excruciating pain). Most other box jellies are relatively benign to humans. Box jellies can move quite rapidly, and with their complex set of eyes (including a cornea, lens, and optic nerves), and a neural ring that approaches the complex ganglia found in 'brainy' animals, they can recognize and avoid objects in their environment.

Hydrozoa, about 2700 species, most of which are sessile hydras. Free swimming (medusa stage) species including many small, deep sea species without common names, siphonorphore colonies such as blue button, by the wind sailor, bluebottle, and the most famous of the group... Portuguese man of war jelly. And one freshwater species.

Anthozoa, about 6000 species, none of which have a medusa stage, including sea anemones, corals, and sea pens.

One last group of free swimming gelatinous animals that most consider a jellyfish are not even in the phylum, Cnidaria. Those are the comb jellies that are in a separate phylum, Ctenophora (TEE-na-for-a). In place of stingers, they use a sticky substance on their tentacles to pull in prey, or simply envelop them. The 'combs' are usually eight rows of cilia that they wave for propulsion and which reflect diffracted light into a dazzling pattern of moving rainbow colors. With about 150 species for the entire phylum, most reside in deep water, and a few dozen species have been identified so recently that they have not yet been given formal classifications.Since jellyfish come in many species, it's difficult to give you an exact answer to that. Here is the most specific taxonomic ladder I can give you on the information provided:

Domain: Eukarya

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Subphylum: Medusozoa

Class: Scyphozoa

Subclass: Discomedusae

Order: Coronatae

Alternately, there are several less-prominent Classes of jellyfish (more scientifically Medusa), known: Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, Polypodiozoa, and Staurozoa.

The common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, belongs to class Scyphozoa.Jellyfish are cnidarians, although there are many species.

A jellyfish is the medusoid stadium of animals belonging to phyum Cnidaria, subphylum Medusozoa, which include:

• class: Scyphozoa
• class: Cubozoa
• class: Staurozoa
• class: Hydrozoa (only some hydrozoans have a medusoid stadium, so not all of them have jellyfishes)
• class: Polypodiozoa
• class: dismissed heh heh

Jellyfishes scientific names are ruled by the ICZN (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature). Each species must be identified with the genus name followed by the specific name (binomial nomenclature).

A jellyfish also has an open circulatory system which means is has no veins or arteries in which to carry blood through its small, squishy body.

Jellyfish is already a common name.

THANKS I WAS DOING A SCIENCE PROJECT!

Name: Jellyfish

Scientific name: Cnidaria Scyphozoa Aurelia

Location: Along both coasts of North America

Habitat: Tropical to sub-polar latitudes

Status: Not threatened

Diet: Fish, marine invertebrates