The lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) It is a jellyfish belonging to the Scyphozoa class and one of the most representative species of this group. It is the largest jellyfish that exists. The largest specimen that is known was observed at the end of the 14th century and its tentacles measured more than 36 meters.
It was described for the first time in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carlos Linnaeus. It owes its name to the shape and appearance of its tentacles, which are so many and seem so compact that they resemble the mane of the king of the jungle..
This jellyfish does not represent an obvious danger for humans, since, despite synthesizing toxins in its cnidocytes, its habitat is so far from the coasts that encounters between humans and it are really rare and exceptional..
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The taxonomic classification of Cyanea capillata is the next:
- Domain: Eukarya.
- Animalia Kingdom.
- Phylum: Cnidaria.
- Class: Scyphozoa.
- Order: Semaeostomeae.
- Family: Cyaneidae.
- Gender: Cyanea.
- Species: Cyanea capillata.
Cyanea capillata It is considered the largest jellyfish species that has been reported so far. It can measure up to 2 meters in diameter in its umbrella and its tentacles reach up to more than 30 meters in length..
It is a eukaryotic organism, whose genetic material (DNA) is delimited in the cell nucleus. It is also made up of several types of cells, each one specialized in specific functions: digestion, reproduction and conduction of nerve impulses, among others..
It lives in the depths of the coldest oceans, so its sightings are not frequent.
During its embryonic development, two germ layers appear, the endoderm and the ectoderm, from which all the tissues and organs that make up the adult individual are formed. Because of this, it is stated that Cyanea capillata it is a diblastic organism.
In addition, it presents radial symmetry, which means that all its organs are arranged around a central axis..
Cyanea capillata It is a representative jellyfish of the scifozoa group. As such, it has two forms in its life cycle: polyp and jellyfish..
Scyphozoa polyps are characterized by being tubular in shape and fixed to the substrate through a structure known as discopedia. Likewise, at its upper end it has tentacles, whose function is to contribute to the capture of the prey to be ingested..
The polyp of this jellyfish is known by the name of sciphostoma and it reproduces asexually through a process known as strobilation..
The jellyfish shape of Cyanea capillata It is the typical mushroom shape of the jellyfish. Presents an umbrella whose surface is completely smooth.
This jellyfish has the characteristic layers of scifomedusas: the epidermis (outer layer), the mesoglea (middle layer) and the gastrodermis (inner layer that lines the gastrovascular cavity).
On its underside there is an extension that is known as the manubrium, at the end of which there is an opening that is the mouth. This opens into a cavity that occupies almost the entire interior space of the jellyfish, which is known as the gastrovascular cavity or stomach..
Also around the mouth there are somewhat thick extensions that are known as oral arms. These can be yellowish, orange, or brown in color. These extensions help to capture prey and introduce them into the gastrovascular cavity..
Tentacles emerge from the underside of the umbrella. There are eight groups of these, and can reach a number of between 70 and 140 tentacles for each of them. In such a way that this jellyfish has a high number of tentacles, which allow it to efficiently capture its prey..
These are full of cnidocytes, stinging cells whose function is to synthesize a toxin that the jellyfish uses to inoculate its prey and immobilize it in order to swallow it. Likewise, this substance is toxic to humans, although cases of human accidents are almost non-existent..
The digestive system of Cyanea capillata It is the typical one of the scifomedusas. It is made up of a single opening, which is the mouth, which opens into a gastrovascular cavity in which the digestion of the prey takes place. This occurs thanks to the digestive enzymes that are synthesized and secreted there.
Likewise, the gastrovascular cavity is divided by the so-called gastric filaments. A series of radial channels emerge from the cavity, of which there are three types: preradial, interradial and adradial. These channels flow into a single annular channel that is located at the edge of the umbrella..
The nervous system that this jellyfish presents is primitive and rudimentary. It does not present specialized organs, except for the ropalios, which have some receptors.
On Cyanea capillata the nervous system is limited to a network of nerve fibers that are distributed throughout the umbilicus and are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses.
As mentioned, these jellyfish have some clothing, which are located on the edge of the umbrella. Unlike other scifomedusas, the clothing of the Cyanea capillata they do not have ocelli (photoreceptors). They only contain statocysts, which are receptors for balance and spatial location. These allow the jellyfish to orient itself correctly and move efficiently through the medium..
Likewise, they can present in the clothing chemoreceptors, which capture stimuli that have to do with chemical signals such as variations in gas concentrations, among others..
Cyanea capillata It is a kind of dioecious jellyfish, that is, you will find female individuals and male individuals.
The gonads are located inside the wall of the gastrovascular cavity. They are formed from outgrowths of gastrodermal cells that contain mesoglea.
In the case of female jellyfish, the oocytes gradually grow into the mesoglea, but without losing contact with the specialized cells of the epithelium. On the other hand, in the case of male jellyfish, sperm are formed by invaginations of the epithelium towards the mesoglea of the testis..
Below the gonads is a subgenital bag, which has a channel that leads directly into the gastrovascular cavity. Through this channel the gametes are released for the mating process.
This is an atypical jellyfish, since, unlike the vast majority, it has a predilection for low-temperature waters. It is found mainly in the northern hemisphere of the planet, specifically towards the arctic polar zone.
It is common to find this jellyfish in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. In addition to this, it is not proper to observe it in coastal areas. It is a jellyfish that is mainly found at great depths, in the area known as the abyssal zone..
In short, the location of the Cyanea capillata it is circumpolar, in extremely cold waters and in the deepest areas of the aforementioned oceans. This is something that has made it very difficult to study their lifestyle habits..
The life cycle of Cyanea capillata it is of the hypogenetic type. Likewise, during the life cycle it presents four phases: planula larva, polyp (scifistoma), ephira and finally jellyfish..
The type of fertilization that this jellyfish presents is external. Sperm and eggs are released to the outside environment for fertilization to occur. Next, the eggs that have been formed are located in the tentacles of the female, who carries them until they become larvae.
The larvae are generally flat in shape, which is why they are known as planules. These can move freely through the marine currents, until they find a suitable substrate to fixate and give way to the development of the polyp..
Once the larva has settled in a suitable place, it begins to undergo a metamorphosis and transforms into a polyp, which, in this case, is known by the name of scifistoma..
The scifistoma develops and grows until, eventually, it undergoes an asexual reproduction process called strobilation..
In strobilation, the polyp undergoes changes at the level of its upper end until a transverse fissure occurs, thus releasing a small jellyfish known as an ephira..
The ephira moves freely and undergoes certain changes until it transforms into an adult jellyfish with all its distinctive characteristics.
Cyanea capillata it is a carnivorous heterotrophic organism. Although it has a varied diet, it mainly feeds on zooplankton. It can also feed on small fish and marine invertebrates, and even other smaller jellyfish..
The feeding mechanism is as follows: the prey is trapped in the jellyfish's tentacles under the action of the toxin it synthesizes. Subsequently, with the help of the oral arms, it is brought to the mouth and swallowed in its entirety.
Within the gastrovascular cavity, the prey is subjected to the action of the various digestive enzymes that are produced there and is degraded to simple substances that can be absorbed.
Subsequently, the waste that will not be absorbed is released to the outside through the mouth.
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