The largest jellyfish in the world is the Arctic cyanide. This is a very interesting inhabitant of sea waters in its lifestyle and structure. Lives in cold areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where conditions are extremely harsh. It lives in the upper layers of water at a depth of no more than 20 meters. It stays in open waters and moves with sea currents. It rarely approaches the coastline.
The coloring of this jellyfish is remarkable. In young individuals it is much brighter than in mature ones. Common colors are dirty orange, purple and brown. At the same time, the upper part of the dome is mostly yellow. The oral lobes are red-crimson. The tentacles located along the edges of the dome have purple and pink shades.
The dome has a hemispherical shape. Its edges are blades. There are 16 of them. Rhopalia are located between the blades. They contain organs of balance (statocysts), nerve centers and eyes. The tentacles are long, they are collected in bunches and are located behind the concave side of the dome. And in its central lower part there is a mouth opening. It is surrounded by oral lobes. Outwardly, they resemble a hanging curtain.
The tentacles along the edges of the dome are extremely long and resemble hair. They can reach 20-30 meters. Thanks to them, this sea creature has another name - hairy cyanide. In the largest specimens, the dome reaches 2 meters in diameter, but usually does not exceed 50-60 cm. The largest recorded specimen had a tentacle length of 36.5 meters, and the diameter of its dome was 2.3 meters. So we can say with confidence that the Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the world.
The representative of the order of disc jellyfish that we are considering is an active predator. Its diet consists of plankton, crustaceans and small fish. If there is little food, then this inhabitant of cold waters begins to attack other jellyfish and eat them.
Foraging for food is as follows: a sea giant hovers in the upper layer of water with tentacles directed in different directions. From the outside, the jellyfish resembles a large lump of algae floating harmlessly in the ocean. As soon as a passing victim touches the tentacle, it immediately wraps itself around its body and infects it with paralyzing poison. After the prey stops fluttering, it is eaten. Paralyzing poison is produced in the tentacles along their entire length.
But the ocean is the ocean, and therefore any predator can become prey for another, larger predator. Therefore, hairy cyanide is eaten by other jellyfish, sea turtles, birds and large fish. It should be said that even the largest specimens do not pose a danger to humans. The worst thing that can happen when you come into contact with a huge jellyfish is that a rash appears at the site of contact. But it immediately disappears after using antiallergic drugs. The rash usually appears in people with sensitive skin, while others do not notice anything at all.
The reproductive process of Arctic cyanides consists of 2 stages. At the first stage, males release sperm into the water. They end up in the females’ mouth lobes, where the brood chambers are located. There, fertilization of eggs and their development occurs.
At the second stage, the formed embryos (planula larvae) leave the brood chambers, attach to some substrate and transform into one polyp. Over the course of several months, it actively grows and reproduces asexually, giving birth to a scyphist. From them the larvae of future jellyfish - ethers - are formed. Externally, they look like transparent stars with 8 rays. These stars float in the water and gradually become jellyfish.
This is the complex process of reproduction that nature came up with. And as a result, the Arctic cyanide is born - the largest jellyfish in the world. It moves in the upper water column along with cold sea currents and is an integral part of the northern waters of the World Ocean.
Everyone knows very well that in absolutely every species of vertebrate animal you can find the most outstanding representative, who for one reason or another has become a record holder. But not only vertebrates are distinguished by some peculiarity.
Invertebrate animals are also not inferior to their vertebrate “brothers” in terms of records. One of such outstanding invertebrates is considered to be the giant cyanea jellyfish.
Giant sea miracle
Hairy cyanea- This is undoubtedly the largest jellyfish in the entire body of water in the world. This is truly a gigantic sea miracle. Scientifically speaking, the invertebrate is called Cuanea arctica. From Latin it is translated as “Arctic cyanide”. You can meet this majestic creature in the heights of the northern hemisphere. Compared to its counterparts, Arctic cyanide has a beautiful color. The pink-purple cyanea jellyfish can be observed in any northern sea that flows into the oceans:
- Quiet.
- Atlantic.
As a rule, it lives close to the shore, mainly near the surface of the water. Scientists who studied the giant jellyfish assumed that it lives in the Azov and Black Seas. But all attempts to discover Arctic cyanide there were in vain.
The enormous size of the invertebrate giant
According to the results of the latest study conducted by members of the Cousteau team, we can say that the diameter of the so-called body is about 2.5 meters. But the main pride of the Arctic cyanide is associated with its tentacles. Incredibly, the length of these truly majestic limbs can reach 42 meters. Researchers around the world have come to the conclusion that the size of the Arctic cyanide is directly influenced by its habitat. More precisely, the temperature of the water in that place. It has already been proven that the largest specimens live in the icy waters of the ocean.
Appearance
This species of invertebrate has a rather specific and interesting body color. Mostly the body of Arctic cyanide consists of flowers:
- red;
- brown;
- violet.
As the jellyfish matures, its body gradually begins to turn yellow. And along the edges of the body red shades appear. The tentacles emanating from the edges of the body, or domes as it is also called, are predominantly purple-pink in color. The oral cavity is usually red-crimson. The dome of the giant jellyfish is shaped like a hemisphere. Along the edges of the body, there are 16 smoothly transitioning blades, separated from each other by special cuts. Some people compare it to a lion's mane. Indeed, there are similarities. And so another name was attached to this giant, the “lion’s mane” jellyfish.
Lifestyle
Jellyfish of this species spend a lot of time swimming freely, living closer to the surface of the ocean. By nature, the lion's mane jellyfish is a predator. Moreover, it is very dangerous and active . Her diet mainly consists of:
- plankton located in the upper layers of water;
- crustaceans;
- small fish.
During the “hunger years”, when jellyfish cannot find food for themselves, they can exist for a long time without food. But it often happens that they transform into cannibals and begin to devour their fellows.
Until recently, the hunting method of this jellyfish was unknown. . Arctic cyanea, floats to the surface of the reservoir. Spreads its huge tentacles in all directions. After the preparatory stages, the time of waiting for its victim begins. Scientists who studied the behavior of a jellyfish during hunting noticed that in this position it is very similar to algae, which, in turn, is similar to a lion’s mane. This is one of the reasons why the Arctic invertebrate is called the lion's mane jellyfish.
The victim, suspecting nothing, heads towards these “algae”. As soon as the prey touches this “lion’s mane,” the predator quickly grabs it with its tentacles and injects its poison into the prey’s body. This poison paralyzes all the vital organs of the victim, and when it no longer shows any signs of life, the jellyfish eats it. It is worth noting that the poison produced is present along the entire length of the tentacle and has a strong effect.
Reproduction
These invertebrates have a unique method of reproduction. The sperm of the male splashes out of his mouth into the female's mouth. After sperm enter the female’s mouth, it is there that they begin to turn into embryos. After some time, the offspring emerge from the mother in the form of larvae. The larvae begin to cling to the substrate, forming a solid polyp. After several months, the resulting polyp multiplies. Due to this, larvae appear, which in the future will become jellyfish.
To this day, the largest specimen caught that has been officially recorded is an invertebrate of this type diameter 2.3 meters. The length of the giant creature's tentacle was 36 meters. This phenomenon happened in 1870, near the state of Massachusetts. But this is far from the largest aquatic inhabitant. Using modern equipment, scientists have discovered that there are much larger representatives of this species. But so far no one has been able to see this majestic miracle.
The burn that a jellyfish can leave is very painful. Large specimens of this invertebrate species are considered potentially dangerous to humans. A fatal outcome after an encounter with a jellyfish was recorded once. This was because the venom from the tentacle caused an allergic reaction in the victim, which was fatal. Although the venom of the lion's mane jellyfish is practically harmless to humans, if it enters the body, you should consult a doctor.
Greek heroes turned to stone under the gaze of the mythical witch Medusa the Gorgon. Will the real and largest jellyfish in the world, the Arctic cyanea, make you freeze in shock? This floating nightmare has a bell two meters in diameter and extends its tentacles up to 30 meters! Find out the truth about giant jellyfish, their size and lifestyle, and your chances of encountering them in the wild.
First place: Arctic cyanide - the longest animal on the planet
The owner of the longest body prefers the cold waters of the White, Kara and Barents Seas, although he often descends to the latitudes of Boston and northern Portugal. In 1870, residents of one of the villages on the shores of Massachusetts Bay went out to collect fish left on the sand after a storm and discovered a gigantic jellyfish thrown up by the sea.
Animal measurements showed:
- 7.5 feet (2.3 m) - bell span;
- 120 feet (36.6 m) - length of tentacles;
- 121.4 feet (37 m) - total length from crown to tentacle tips.
Even the blue whale does not reach the cyanea record of 3.5 m!
What does a giant jellyfish look like and what does it eat?
The dome of the cyanide, shimmering with a greenish light, is colored burgundy closer to the edges and is divided into 16 lobes. Numerous tentacles of the animal stretch behind the dome in a sloppy pink trail. Thanks to them, the jellyfish received a second name - hairy.
For a person, an encounter with the Arctic giant is fraught with painful burns. The US National Geographic Society considers cyanea potentially fatal, although death from its poison has only been recorded once.
Second place: Nomura Bell - the yellow giant from the Yellow Sea
Kanihi Nomura, a zoologist and at the same time director of fisheries in the Japanese prefecture of Fukui, puzzled by the clogging of nets with jellyfish, found and described this species in 1921. The animal resembles a lump of tangled fibers from the central part of a pumpkin fruit, hanging from a two-meter bell. The second name of the giant is lion's mane.
Nomura's tentacles are small, but the mass of one specimen reaches 200 kg. In 2009, a fishing boat capsized off the coast of Japan while the crew was struggling with nomura that had filled the net. The efforts of fishermen to throw the lion's mane out of the nets end sadly: numerous tentacles always find a small strip of exposed skin, even on a person dressed in a marine robe.
How the bell burns Nomura and his brothers
Jellyfish are slow and clumsy, and it is difficult for them to hold on to their caught prey. So you have to act with paralyzing poison, grow stinging cells with a coiled harpoon thread inside. When a crustacean or fish touches a tiny protrusion near such a cell, the thread instantly shoots out, pierces the side and injects poison.
Jellyfish toxins have been little studied, but it has been established that one of their components is histamine, which is responsible for a severe allergic reaction. Other substances in the poison affect the nervous system, paralyzing small plankton and causing severe pain in marine mammals and humans.
Third place: Chrysaora – a gentle and fiery beauty
Chrysaora has chosen the eastern and western shelves of the North American continent. Its dome reaches a meter in diameter and is sand-colored with dark radial stripes. 24 thin stinging tentacles up to 5 m long hang from the edges of the dome. Around the mouth, located on the underside of the dome, 4 more tentacles grow, lush, like a feather boa. All together it resembles a lady's hat with ribbons.
The second name of the underwater beauty is sea nettle. Like the plant of the same name, chrysaora burns sharply and painfully, but not for long. Within an hour, the burning and itching stop, and the next day the redness goes away.
How chrysaors migrate
There is an opinion that jellyfish swim only with the flow. However, they easily move wherever they want, collecting water under the dome and throwing it out with strong pushes. This method of movement is called reactive.
Chrysaors make multi-day sea voyages in search of prey: comb jellyfish and plankton. Sometimes they gather in clusters of tens of thousands of individuals - zoologists call this phenomenon a “swarm” or “bloom”. Why chrysaors behave this way remains to be studied.
Fourth place: purple striped jellyfish
This rare creature lives off the coast of California. The diameter of its bell reaches 70 cm, the length of its thin marginal tentacles is 2 m. In its youth, the jellyfish is colorless, it is decorated with barely visible dark stripes and an edging along the edge of the dome. As they age, the stripes turn bright brown, and the jellyfish itself takes on a rich blueberry color.
The burns caused by the purple striped jellyfish are not fatal, but unpleasant, like a lash. In 2012, 130 beachgoers on Monterey Bay were injured after encountering a large group of young, and therefore difficult to see, animals in the water.
Why is the body of a jellyfish transparent?
The jellyfish does not have a single internal organ. Their flesh consists of two rows of cells, between them is a thick layer of gelatinous substance, which is 98% water. The jellyfish seems to be made of liquid glass.
Cells share all the work of the body among themselves. Some produce toxins, others digest prey, and others are responsible for sensitivity. There are cells whose responsibilities include the prompt restoration of body parts bitten off by turtles and other predators. But since there are only two layers of cells, the general outlines of objects can be seen through the jellyfish.
Fifth place: Black Sea Cornerot
For the Mediterranean and Black Seas, this is the largest representative of jellyfish. The diameter of the bell reaches 60 cm, weight – 10 kg. Kornerot does not have the long hunting tentacles characteristic of Chrysaora or Cyanea. There are small oral lobes that resemble young roots of well-fed seedlings.
Cornerotes are hardly noticeable, since on their transparent, colorless body there is only one colored area - the purple edging of the dome. Bathers discover the jellyfish when they touch the floating jelly. For most people, this animal is safe, and only severe allergy sufferers react to its soft touch with a scattering of hives.
Can a jellyfish feel?
Sight, hearing, taste - this is not about jellyfish. The nervous system is too primitive. However, sailors have long noticed that before a storm, cornermouths disappear, moving away from the shore.
It turned out that along the edges of the dome the animals carry tubes with lime crystals. In response to infrasounds that appear in the sea 10-15 hours before the storm, the crystals begin to move and touch microscopic sensitive tubercles.
The signal about this is received by nerve cells. Now sailors are armed with the “jellyfish ear” device, which notifies in advance of the approach of bad weather.
The world's largest jellyfish, the cyanea jellyfish, and its smaller sisters are some of the most beautiful inhabitants of the ocean. They have been dancing slowly and mysteriously in the salt water for hundreds of millions of years. During this time, they acquired delicate colors, burning poisons and the finest hearing. But zoologists are sure that not all the secrets of transparent beauties have been revealed.
The largest jellyfish in the entire world's oceans, the Arctic cyanea (lat. Cyanea capillata) gained wide popularity thanks to the story “The Lion's Mane” by Arthur Conan Doyle, which told about the painful death of one of the heroes caused by an encounter with the Arctic cyanea.
In fact, rumors about its mortal danger to humans are too exaggerated. Arctic cyanea not only cannot cause death, but is not even capable of causing any serious damage to human health. The worst consequences of contact with this jellyfish are an itchy rash and, in some cases, an allergic reaction. All this can be successfully treated with compresses with vinegar.
However, Arctic cyanides are very interesting sea creatures. Let's start with the fact that cyanea live in extremely harsh climatic conditions. They can be found in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and the northern Pacific Ocean during the coldest winter months. They rarely fall below forty-second degrees north latitude and are completely absent from the waters of the southern hemisphere.
Arctic cyanides can reach truly enormous sizes. These are not only the largest of all jellyfish, but also the largest animals in the world. The diameter of one of the jellyfish, found in 1870 off the coast of Massachusetts, exceeded two meters, and the length of the tentacles reached thirty-six meters. It is believed that the cyanea bell can grow up to two and a half meters in diameter, and the tentacles can grow up to forty-five meters in length. This is much larger than the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet.
The further north the Arctic cyanide lives, the larger it is. The most impressive sizes are those of jellyfish that live in the coldest areas of the Arctic Ocean. As they approach warmer waters, the size of Arctic cyanides decreases: the smallest jellyfish are found between forty and forty-second degrees north latitude.
Typically, the diameter of the Arctic cyanide bell does not exceed two and a half meters. The length of the tentacles of these Arctic jellyfish also changes depending on the temperature of their habitat, and the color depends on the size. The largest specimens impress with rich crimson-red tones, while smaller ones are characterized by shades of pink, orange or light brown.
The body of the Arctic cyanide is a bell with blades along the edges, shaped like a hemisphere. Long tentacles, collected in eight bundles, are attached to the inner part of the blades. Each such bundle grows from sixty to one hundred and thirty tentacles. In the center of the bell there is a mouth opening, surrounded by long oral lobes, with the help of which the arctic cyanea moves the caught prey towards the mouth, connected to the stomach.
Like most jellyfish, the arctic cyanea is a voracious predator, feeding on zooplankton, small fish and ctenophores. She does not deny herself the pleasure of feasting on her relatives, such as, for example, the long-eared aurelia. In turn, Arctic cyanides are desirable prey for seabirds, large fish, sea turtles and other jellyfish.
Jellyfish are the oldest marine inhabitants, appearing hundreds of millions of years ago. These underwater inhabitants got their name because of their resemblance to the mythical creature - the Gorgon Medusa. The body of these representatives of the marine animal world consists of more than 90% water. Their favorite habitat is salty waters. Translucent creatures are the object of research by scientists. The poisonous and largest jellyfish are of particular interest.
10. Irukandji Medusa | 10 centimeters
- one of the most poisonous Pacific jellyfish. The main habitat is Australian waters. The diameter of its dome is about 10 centimeters. Irukandji has four tentacles, the length of which can reach 1 meter. A jellyfish sting is dangerous to humans and can cause a number of unpleasant consequences: pain throughout the body, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia and even pulmonary edema. In rare cases, death may occur. Irukaji's venom has a slow-acting property, so symptoms may appear over several days. Despite its small size, it poses a certain risk for swimmers.
9. Medusa Pelagia | 12 centimeters
(Night Light) is one of the most beautiful disc jellyfish, which is common in the waters of the World and Atlantic Oceans, as well as in the Red and Mediterranean Seas. The body diameter of the jellyfish reaches 12 centimeters. The color of the umbrella is purple-red and has ornate frills around the edges. In addition to stinging cells and tentacles, Pelagia has four oral cavities. The jellyfish begins to glow the moment it comes into contact with any objects. The main living creatures that the Nightlight feeds on are benthos, sometimes fry and crustaceans. The jellyfish poses a certain danger to humans, since its injected poison causes burns and, in some cases, shock.
8. Portuguese Man of War | 25 centimeters
(Physalia) - a jellyfish is a “sailboat”-shaped bubble floating on the surface of the water. The body of the “sailfish” is 25 centimeters, but the tentacles of Physalia can reach 50 meters, which it hides under water. It has a beautiful blue or purple color. The Portuguese man-of-war prefers to feed on fish larvae and small squid. Physalia is one of the most poisonous sea jellyfish. Upon contact with its tentacles, a person receives a severe burn, which is accompanied by acute pain. The injected poison can paralyze all vital organs, so it is difficult for a stung swimmer to stay on the water, and the person drowns. The Portuguese man-of-war is easy to spot from afar, thanks to its bright and beautiful coloring, so you can avoid encountering it while sailing.
7. Aurelia | 40 centimeters
(Eared jellyfish) is one of the most common types of large jellyfish. Aurelia's body is almost transparent and reaches 40 centimeters. Numerous thin tentacles have stinging cells that strike prey. Four oral lobes resemble drooping ears, which is why Aurelia received the name Ushastaya. This species feeds mainly on plankton and crustaceans. The eared jellyfish does not pose a danger to humans, and its bite can only cause a burn. In Asian countries, Aurelia is used to prepare exotic dishes.
6. Australian Sea Wasp | 45 centimeters
- the most poisonous inhabitant of the World Ocean. The main habitat of the species is the coasts of Indonesia and Australia. The dome of the Sea Wasp is 45 centimeters and is equipped with 60 tentacles, which can reach more than 3 meters when hunting prey. The sea animal has 24 eyes. It instantly stings a passing object in several places at once. Death from poisonous jellyfish stings can occur in just a few minutes. A swimmer who is stung receives enough to cause a heart attack and often drowns. It is quite difficult to notice this jellyfish due to its transparency. The Australian wasp feeds on small fish and shrimp.
5. Cornerot | 60 centimeters
- one of largest sea jellyfish, living in the Black and Mediterranean seas. The weight of the sea dweller can reach 10 kg, and the diameter of the dome is 60 centimeters. For humans, Cornerot poses no danger and can cause only mild irritation upon contact with the tentacles. The cornerota umbrella is a “haven” for small fish that hide under the dome from danger. This species feeds only on plankton. Jellyfish are actively used in medicine for the preparation of medicines, as well as in cooking. In Japan, Thailand and China, a variety of dishes are prepared from Cornerot.
4. Purple Striped Jellyfish | 70 centimeters
- one of the largest and most graceful jellyfish that lives in the Gulf of Monterey. The dome of the animal reaches 70 centimeters and has a rich color. A Purple Jellyfish sting can cause severe burns to a person. This species has not yet been thoroughly studied by science, so there is very little information about the animal.
3. Medusa Chrysaora | 1 meter
(Sea nettle) - an inhabitant of the Pacific Ocean reveals the three largest jellyfish in the world. The body of an adult Chryasora can reach 1 meter, and its numerous tentacles can reach 4 meters. Tentacles severed from the body can exist separately in the depths of the sea for several weeks and sting. Sea nettle stings leave burns in the form of thin welts. Victims experience sharp pain and burning, but do not pose a danger to human health. Chryasora is one of the most beautiful representatives of its species, so the animal is often kept in oceanariums and aquariums. In the ocean, sea nettle feeds on plankton and small jellyfish.
2. Bell of Nomura | 2 meters
(Lion's mane) is one of the largest species of jellyfish living in the seas of the Far East. Nomura measures 2 meters in size and can weigh up to 200 kg. Marine animals cause harm to the fishing industry. A giant hairy ball gets caught in the net, tangling it. When the fishermen try to free the net, Nomura sharply stings the man. In case of an allergic reaction to the poison, death from a Lion's mane bite is possible. From time to time, large accumulations of Nomura are observed off the coast of the Sea of Japan.
1. Hairy Cyanea | 2.3 meters
- ranks first among the giant jellyfish in the world. The body of individual individuals of Cyanea can reach 2.3 meters, and the length of the tentacles is 37 meters. The main habitat of this species is seas and oceans. These jellyfish rarely approach the shores and prefer to exist at depths of 20 meters. Giant Cyanea does not pose a serious danger to humans. Its bite can only cause a burn. Large individuals feed on plankton and other jellyfish.