Reformatted moon jellyfish project for Animal Behavior.

1. THE MOON JELLYFISH
KAT JENNING ~ BIO 123 ~ FINAL PRESENTATION

2. WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
http://www.terraspirit.com/2010/11/08/moon-
jellyfish/
• Round bodies
• 18” diameter
• 90% water
content
• Gonads in
center
• Pink in
females
• White in

3. WHERE DO THEY LIVE?
MOON JELLYFISH HABITAT MAP ZOOM IMAGE. DIGITAL IMAGE. MARINE WILDLIFE
ENCYCLOPEDIA. OCEANA. WEB. 31 MAY 2012.
http://blogs.evergreen.edu/ebestiary/blog/2012/05/29/moon-
jellyfish/ocean264moojel_002/
• Atlantic,
Pacific, Indian
oceans
• Salty and
warm water
preferred
• Surface
dwellers

4. HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE?
Moon jellyfish source: NIWA
http://sciblogs.co.nz/guestwork/tag/j
ellyfish/
• What
communication?
• Simple at best…
• Not much research
done

5. WHAT DO THEY EAT?
http://www.mysciencebox.org/book/export/html/
35
Plankton photo by Jerry Prexioso. From NOAA
http://scienceblogs.
com/pharyngula/
M. Christopher Barnhart
http://courses.missouristate.e
du/chrisbarnhart/home/
plankto
n
nematod
e
Crustacean
• Predators: turtles, humans, tuna,
large fish…
• Prey: plankton, nematodes,

6. HOW DO THEY MOVE?
Matt Segal
http://www.carbonos.com/gallery/photo.php?photo=2&u=1024462x21
• Float in currents
• “contraction-
relaxation”
• Tense up and
let go
• Makes water
vortex

7. HOW DO THEY PROTECT THEMSELVES?
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-
guide/invertebrates/moon-jelly
• Tentacles have
stingers
• Weak sting…
• Non-toxic to
humans

8. ARE THEY SOCIAL OR SOLITARY?
Peter Lilja
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-
in-sea-peter-lilja.html
• Adults are
neither
• Polyps are social
• Ocean brings big
aggregations
together

9. HOW DO THEY REPRODUCE?
http://www.livinginthebalticsea.com/sea_life/inv
ertebrates/moon_jellyfish/
• Asexual polyps
• budding until
grown
• Sexual medusa
• Fertilize eggs
through mouth
• Travel to arms
• Expel planula
• Forms polyp…

10. WHAT IS THEIR CONSERVATION STATUS?
http://qz.com/290657/jellyfish-are-stepping-
up-their-ocean-invasions-and-humans-are-
helping-them/
• Good status
• Overpopulating
…
• No predators!
• Causing
issues…

11. WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING STUDIED?
Andreas
https://diveinutila.wordpr
ess.com/2013/04/14/the
-moon-jellyfish/
http://adamsawyer.c
om/2013/02/28/pict
ure-of-the-week-
moon-jellyfish-at-
the-portland-
aquarium/
• Shrink when food is
scarce
• Salinity affects
development
• Global warming affects
population growth

12. THE END
http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/CooperES/Teach
er_Websites/Watson_Web/5th_marine_biology_tu
esday/Alexismarinebio.html
http://lbc9.com/animals/marine-
life/jellyfish/wallpapers-30.html