Chrysaora hysoscella

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Compass jellyfish
Meduse-Chrysaora hysoscella-Nausicaa-07-2024-Luc-Viatour.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Semaeostomeae
Family: Pelagiidae
Genus: Chrysaora
Species:
C. hysoscella
Binomial name
Chrysaora hysoscella
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms
  • Chrysaora aspilonotaPéron & Lesueur, 1810
  • Chrysaora cyclonotaPéron & Lesueur, 1810
  • Chrysaora lesueurPéron & Lesueur, 1810
  • Chrysaora mediterraneaPéron & Lesueur, 1810
  • Medusa hysoscellaLinnaeus, 1767

Chrysaora hysoscella, the compass jellyfish, [1] is a common species of jellyfish that inhabits coastal waters in temperate regions of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. [2] In the past it was also recorded in the southeastern Atlantic, including South Africa, but this was caused by confusion with close relatives; C. africana , C. fulgida and an undescribed species tentatively referred to as "C. agulhensis". [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

It is a true jellyfish displaying radial symmetry with distinct brown markings shaped like elongated V's on its bell. [6] C. hysoscella adults are highly susceptible to the parasite Hyperia medusarum, but this has had no significant effects on the population. [7] This organism has a benthic polyp stage before developing into a pelagic adult medusae. [6] Compass jellyfish consume a variety of marine invertebrates and plankton and are preyed on by very few. [8] C. hysoscella contribute to the global issue of jellyfish overpopulation which is concerning to humans for various reasons including recreational interference, economic turmoil for fishing communities, and depleted fish resources. [9]

Body plan

As an adult, the bell of the compass jellyfish typically has a diameter of 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in). [2] It usually has 16 brown elongated V-shaped markings on the translucent yellow-white bell. The markings surround a central brown spot and resemble the face of a compass, hence the common name compass jellyfish. [6] It is usually colored yellowish white, with some brown. Its 24 tentacles are arranged in eight groups of three. Each tentacle has stinging cells for capturing prey and defense from predators. [10] A sense organ is located between each group of tentacles, which can perceive changes in light and helps the jellyfish determine and maintain its position in the water column. [6] It has 4 oral arms that can be distinguished from the tentacles because the arms are noticeably longer and have a folded, frilly appearance. [10] These arms are used to facilitate transfer of captured prey from the tentacles to the mouth which is between the oral arms at the center of the underside of the bell. [10]

Habitat

Chrysaora hysoscella in Vancouver Aquarium Expl1606 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg
Chrysaora hysoscella in Vancouver Aquarium
Video of the Chrysaora hysoscella (compass jellyfish) from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Chrysaora hysoscella at Ozeaneum Stralsund Chrysaora hysoscella 2024-05-21 JM 5D412354.jpg
Chrysaora hysoscella at Ozeaneum Stralsund

The compass jellyfish is found in coastal waters of the northeast Atlantic, including the Celtic, Irish, North and Mediterranean Seas. [2] [11] They inhabit these waters mostly at the top of the water column, [12] [13] and although they inhabit shallow water, they move up and down in the water column often ranging from surface waters to just above the seabed. [12] They are rarely found deeper than 30 m from the surface. [12] [7]

Feeding and predation

Compass jellyfish are carnivores, consuming other marine invertebrates and plankton. [8] They feed on a variety of benthic and pelagic organisms including but not limited to: dinoflagellates, copepods, crustacean eggs, larval fish, and chaetognaths. [8] They stun and capture their prey with stinging cells on their tentacles. [6] The oral arms facilitate movement of captured prey into the oral opening. [10] Compass jellyfish have very few predators. They are known to be consumed by the leatherback sea turtle and ocean sunfish. [14]

Life cycle

Like other Scyphozoans, Chrysaora hysoscella undergo metamorphosis as the organism develops and experiences a polyp and then medusa form. Females release planular larvae which swim to find a suitable place to settle. The planulae attach to a benthic substrate and develop into a sessile polyp which releases immature medusae through asexual reproduction called strobilation. [15] [16] Chrysaora hysoscella function as a male upon maturity and then develop female gametes, meaning this organism is protandrously hermaphroditic. [17] [16]

Reproduction

Chrysaora hysoscella utilize both sexual and asexual reproduction throughout development. [17] Mature individuals reproduce sexually by broadcast spawning. Males release sperm from their mouths into the water column. [6] Females fertilize the sperm internally and can fertilize sperm from multiple male partners. [17] The larvae released from the female settle as benthic polyps that reproduce asexually. [16] The polyps release multiple ephyrae through strobilation. [15] Ephyrae are the earliest form of the medusa stage. Research indicates that Chrysaora hysoscella polyps are capable of releasing ephyrae over time and therefore are not limited to a single reproductive event. [16] [15]

Parasite Hyperia medusarum

Adult Chrysaora hysoscella are often parasitised by Hyperia medusarum. C. hysoscella found inshore and closer to the surface are more likely to have the parasite. The parasite can be found inside of the body cavity in the umbrella and gonads but tends to move from umbrella to gonads if there is space for them there. The gonads are more enriched in carbon and protein content then any other part of the body, making this region the ideal location to settle and feed. They have also been found on the oral arms of the jellyfish where they can eat prey caught by the medusae. [7]

Effects of global warming

Scyphozoa populations are increasing with the warming climate and warmer ocean temperatures. Studies suggest that warmer winter temperatures allow for a longer strobilation period and subsequently higher ephyra production per polyp, higher percentages of polyp strobilation, and higher polyp survival rate. Polyps will be more successful in warmer temperatures but not in extreme temperatures. C. hysoscella are predicted to migrate further northwards to maintain ideal conditions. [15]

Impact

Thriving jellyfish populations have been found to take over as top predators in areas where fin fish have been over-exploited. [8] Increased abundance of jellyfish negatively impacts fish populations in the same region because jellyfish feed on fish eggs and larvae. [13] Jellyfish and larval fish can also share common dietary preferences. Competition for food resources can result in depleted fish populations. Overpopulation of jellyfish is a concern to humans for many reasons. [9] Jellyfish stings are painful and sometimes deadly to humans. Fishing nets can be overwhelmed with jellyfish bycatch or torn by jellyfish caught in the nets. Jellyfish can clog water inlets to power plants, causing serious problems for power production. Jellyfish can invade aquaculture cages, ruining the production of the organism being farmed. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cnidaria</span> Aquatic animal phylum having cnydocytes

Cnidaria is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in fresh water and marine environments, including jellyfish, hydroids, sea anemones, corals and some of the smallest marine parasites. Their distinguishing features are a decentralized nervous system distributed throughout a gelatinous body and the presence of cnidocytes or cnidoblasts, specialized cells with ejectable flagella used mainly for envenomation and capturing prey. Their bodies consist of mesoglea, a non-living, jelly-like substance, sandwiched between two layers of epithelium that are mostly one cell thick. Cnidarians are also some of the only animals that can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jellyfish</span> Soft-bodied, aquatic invertebrates

Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies, are the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scyphozoa</span> Class of marine cnidarians, true jellyfish

The Scyphozoa are an exclusively marine class of the phylum Cnidaria, referred to as the true jellyfish.

<i>Aurelia aurita</i> Species of jellyfish

Aurelia aurita is a species of the family Ulmaridae. All species in the genus are very similar, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus.

<i>Aequorea victoria</i> Species of hydrozoan

Aequorea victoria, also sometimes called the crystal jelly, is a bioluminescent hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusa, that is found off the west coast of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medusozoa</span> Clade of marine invertebrates

Medusozoa is a clade in the phylum Cnidaria, and is often considered a subphylum. It includes the classes Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Staurozoa and Cubozoa, and possibly the parasitic Polypodiozoa. Medusozoans are distinguished by having a medusa stage in their often complex life cycle, a medusa typically being an umbrella-shaped body with stinging tentacles around the edge. With the exception of some Hydrozoa, all are called jellyfish in their free-swimming medusa phase.

<i>Pelagia noctiluca</i> Species of cnidarian

Pelagia noctiluca is a jellyfish in the family Pelagiidae and the only currently recognized species in the genus Pelagia. It is typically known in English as the mauve stinger, but other common names are purple-striped jelly, purple stinger, purple people eater, purple jellyfish, luminous jellyfish and night-light jellyfish. In Greek, pelagia means "(she) of the sea", from pelagos "sea, open sea"; in Latin noctiluca is the combining form of nox, "night"", and lux, "light"; thus, Pelagia noctiluca can be described as a marine organism with the ability to glow in the dark (bioluminescence). It is found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate seas, although it is suspected that records outside the North Atlantic region, which includes the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico, represent closely related but currently unrecognized species.

<i>Phacellophora camtschatica</i> Species of jellyfish

Phacellophora camtschatica, commonly known as the fried egg jellyfish or egg-yolk jellyfish, is a very large jellyfish in the family Phacellophoridae. This species can be easily identified by the yellow coloration in the center of its body which closely resembles an egg yolk, hence its common name. Some individuals can have a bell close to 60 cm (2 ft) in diameter, and most individuals have 16 clusters of up to a few dozen tentacles, each up to 6 m (20 ft) long. A smaller jellyfish, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, typically found in warmer water, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea, is also popularly called a fried egg jellyfish. Also, P. camtschatica is sometimes confused with the Lion's mane jellyfish.

<i>Carybdea</i> Genus of jellyfishes

Carybdea is a genus of venomous box jellyfish within the family Carybdeidae that currently consists of a total of 8 species. This genus of jellyfish are often found in warm waters around the world in waters such as the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and off the coast of Africa. Their sting can cause a range of effects depending on the species. These invertebrates will go through both sexual and asexual reproduction as they transform from a polyp to medusa. Carybdea have a box-shaped bell with four tentacles and eye-like sensory structures. There are distinct physical markings that differentiate many species within the genus. While Carybdea use their venom to act as predators, they are also preyed on by turtles and various fish. They feed on plankton, invertebrates, fish, and some crustaceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atolla jellyfish</span> Species of jellyfish

Atolla wyvillei, also known as the Atolla jellyfish, Coronate medusa, and deep-sea jellyfish, is a species of deep-sea crown jellyfish. It lives in oceans around the world. Like many species of mid-water animals, it is deep red in color. This species was named in honor of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, chief scientist on the Challenger expedition.

<i>Chrysaora fuscescens</i> Species of cnidarian

The Pacific sea nettle, or West Coast sea nettle, is a widespread planktonic scyphozoan cnidarian—or medusa, “jellyfish” or “jelly”—that lives in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, in temperate to cooler waters off of British Columbia and the West Coast of the United States, ranging south to México. The Pacific sea nettle earned its common name in-reference to its defensive, ‘nettle’-like sting; much like the stinging nettle plant, the sea nettle’s defensive sting is often irritating to humans, though rarely dangerous.

<i>Chrysaora colorata</i> Species of jellyfish

Chrysaora colorata (Russell), commonly known as the purple-striped jelly or purple-striped sea nettle, is a species of jellyfish that exists primarily off the coast of California from Bodega Bay to San Diego. The bell (body) of the jellyfish is up to 70 cm (2.3 ft) in diameter, typically with a radial pattern of stripes. The tentacles vary with the age of the individual, consisting typically of eight marginal long dark arms, and four central frilly oral arms. It is closely studied by scientists due to not much being known about their eating habits. A 15-foot-long specimen has been seen.

<i>Aurelia</i> (cnidarian) Genus of jellyfish

Aurelia is a genus of jellyfish that are commonly called moon jellies, which are in the class Scyphozoa. There are currently 25 accepted species and many that are still not formally described.

<i>Lychnorhiza lucerna</i> Species of jellyfish

Lychnorhiza lucerna is a species of jellyfish in the order Rhizostomeae. It is found off the Atlantic coasts of South America.

<i>Chrysaora plocamia</i> Species of jellyfish

The South American sea nettle is a species of jellyfish from the family Pelagiidae. It is found from the Pacific coast of Peru, south along Chile's coast to Tierra del Fuego, and north along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, with a few records from Uruguay. Despite its common name, it is not the only sea nettle in South America. For example, C. lactea is another type of sea nettle in this region. Historically, C. plocamia was often confused with C. hysoscella, a species now known to be restricted to the northeast Atlantic. C. plocamia is a large jellyfish, up to 1 m in bell diameter, although most mature individuals only are 25–40 cm (10–16 in).

<i>Chrysaora chesapeakei</i> Species of jellyfish

Chrysaora chesapeakei is a sea nettle from the family Pelagiidae. It was shown to be a distinct species from Chrysaora quinquecirrha in 2017. Since then, it is also commonly known as the bay nettle. It is mainly found in the Chesapeake Bay and along the East Coast of the United States.

<i>Desmonema</i> (cnidarian) Genus of jellyfish

Desmonema is a genus of jellyfish under the Cyaneidae family found in colder waters near the Antarctic region and off of the coast of Argentina. They have a bell diameter that can extend over 1 meter and wide tentacles that are grouped together in clusters. They share similar anatomical and physiological structures to the genus Cyanea. Their sophisticated structures like the thick tentacles, sensory systems, and gastrovascular system allow Desmonema to easily capture and extracellularly digest their prey. In recent years, Desmonema were reported to have a commensal relationship with fishes under the Trachurus genus and a parasitic relationship with specimens of the Hyperia genus. The genus name derives from the Ancient Greek desmós (δεσμός), meaning "bond", and nêma (νῆμᾰ), meaning "thread".

<i>Aurelia coerulea</i> Species of jellyfish

Aurelia coerulea or Asian moon jelly is a species of moon jelly in the genus Aurelia. This species is native to the seas off Japan, China, Korea, and California, as well as the Mediterranean and other temperate seas. and they can also be found in coastal areas of China, Korea, California, the Mediterranean and other temperate seas. It is particularly abundant in artificial habitats and sheltered regions. It has a very high reproductive rate which can cause blooming events. A.coerulea blooming causes problems such as impairing fisheries, clogging the nuclear power plants and disrupting the local zooplankton abundance. The chemical compounds the species secretes as a self-defense mechanism can be used for pharmaceutical purposes.

<i>Cyanea fulva</i> Species of jellyfish

Cyanea fulva, the Atlantic lion's mane jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish found along the Mid-Atlantic coastal region of the United States. C. fulva are commonly noted as being about two inches in diameter and smaller than C. capillata, however, larger than C. versicolor, a co-occurring close species. One distinctive feature present in mature C. fulva populations is their four mouth-part tentacles, containing a cinnamon color with the center of the main cavity being darker. At a young age, these jellyfish can have three appendages but often gain a fourth at more developed life cycle stages. C. fulva are also known for having less folds compared to C. arctica but more folds compared to C. versicolor. These folds are described as being remarkably thin and deciduous.

<i>Aurelia limbata</i> Species of jellyfish

Aurelia limbata, the brown-banded moon jelly, is a type of moon jelly that occurs in various places throughout the Pacific Ocean.

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