Although the jellyfish has ‘fish’ in its name, it is not a fish. It is not made of jelly either.

               Unlike a fish, it is an animal without a backbone found in oceans and seas around the world. The name jellyfish derives from the jelly-like bodies of these animals.

               Jellyfish are found in oceans and seas all over the world, in the deepest as well as in shallow water. Some species thrive in salt water, others in fresh water. Jellyfish are possibly the oldest multi organ animal on this planet. Some scientists believe that they existed as far back as 700 million years ago.

               Jellyfish can be large or small, brightly coloured, transparent or translucent. They look like little umbrellas, with a gelatinous bell shaped body and trailing tentacles. Inside their bell-shaped body is an opening that is its mouth. They feed on fish, shrimp, crabs and tiny plants. They eat and discard waste from their mouths.

               As a jellyfish squirts water from its mouth, it is propelled forward. Jellyfish use their tentacles to sting. Most are harmless to humans but stings from some species, such as the box jellyfish, can be very painful and sometimes kill. They do not have any brains!

               The lion’s mane jellyfish, the largest jellyfish on the planet, has a mass of thin tentacles that resemble a lion’s mane. These jellyfish are found in the Arctic, North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

Picture credit: google