Animal A Day!

Craspedacusta sowerbii Did you know that there are Jellyfish that don't  live in the ocean? Now you do! Today's species is Craspedacusta sowerbii , and it is found in calm freshwater bodies of water, like lakes, reservoirs, and slow moving rivers and streams. These Jellyfish have actually have a distribution that spans the entire globe. They have been located on nearly every continent (sorry Antarctica) and in almost every single U.S. State. However, you won't see them constantly-- they pop up randomly, sometimes in bodies of water where they have never been seen before! Craspedacusta sowerbii is able to move from place to place because during colder months their polyps contract and become podocysts. These Podocysts attach to other plants and animals that carry the Jellyfish to new places. And because they reproduce asexually, they are able to massively expand their populations very quickly. IUCN Status : Not Listed Location : North and South America, Asia, Eu...

Chrysaora colorata The Purple-striped Jelly is a large Jellyfish that is named for the violet radial strip es that cover its bell. They can be found off of the coast of California, primarily in the Monterey Bay area. These Jellies can grow to a pretty good size-- their bell diameter can measure upwards of two feet! As adults they have the aforementioned Bell Stripes, but as juveniles they have a more subdued coloration, with very dark tentacles. As the Jelly ages, the bell stripes appear but the tentacles lighten in color. And did you know that Purple-striped Jellies often have hitchhikers-- certain species of Cancer  crab will hitch rides in the bell! These critters are popular in Aquariums, but they never really reach the large sizes that are found in the wild. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Coastal California Size : Bell up to 2.3ft (.7m) in diameter Classification :  Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Scyphozoa Order : Semaeostomeae Family : Pel...

Olindias formosa Flower Hat Jellies are pretty easy to recognize-- these Cnidarians have translucent bells that are covered in dark pinstripes. In addition to that, they have short-looking tentacles that coil up close to the body, giving them a more compact look. Overall they are small in size, sporting diameters of around 6in. You will find the Flower Hat Jellies swimming in the Pacific Ocean, in the waters near Japan. They feed mainly on small fishes, which they catch using their stinging tentacles. If you are a human who gets stung by a Flower Hat, you'll feel some pain. These stings are not lethal. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Pacific Size :  Diameter up to 6in (15cm) Classification :  Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Hydrozoa -- Order : Limnomedusae Family : Olindiidae -- Genus : Olindias -- Species : O. formosa Image :  kenpei

Acropora palmata Elkhorn Coral is a very large, very fast growing Coral that can be found in the Caribbean waters, at depths of up to 30m. because of their fast growth they make wonderful reef builders, and have massive branches that can grow well over 6ft a piece. These branches resemble antlers, hence the name. Elkhorn Coral reproduce asexually. Branches of it break off and form new colonies after the reattach in the substrate. They reproduce sexually as well, spawning millions of gametes into the water column once a year. The resulting larvae (if they live long enough) can then form new colonies. Sexual reproduction exists int he species so that there is genetic diversity. However, so few larvae survive that is expected that the diversity is actually very low at this point, with most new Coral colonies created asexually. Like many of the animals we have been talking about in the past few days, Elkhorn Coral is also dangerously close to extinction. In some locations...

Funiculina quadrangularis The Tall Sea Pen , like all Sea Pens, is a relative to Sea Anemones and Corals. And like Coral, though they may look like one creature, they are actually comprised of several organisms called polyps. These polyps, which are pale in color and possess eight tiny tentacles each, gather onto an axis, a long structure made of calcium carbonate. The species name,  quadrangularis , actually refers to the cross-section shape of this axis-- a square. Tall Sea Pens have a very interesting distribution. You'll find them near the British Isles and the North Atlantic, but you'll also find them way over by New Zealand and Japan as well-- halfway around the world! They live in colonies that can form literal Sea Pen forests, and exist at depths of between 20 and 2,300 feet. A large specimen can grow over 2 meters tall! The aforementioned polyp tentacles are what allow this Cnidarian to feed. They sway in the water and pick up floatin...

Mastigias papua The Spotted Jelly is a neat little Jellyfish that hails from the shallow lagoons and bays of the Indian and Pacific Oceans (Theya re also sometimes referred to as Lagoon Jellyfish). They aren't especially, large, but aren't by any means tiny either. They can grow to lengths of around 1ft (30cm), with bell diameters of about 4in (12cm). Each Spotted Jelly has four interesting little arms that each have mouth openings on them. That's right, they don't have just one mouth, they have a whole bunch of mouths! They use all those tiny mouths to feed on different kinds of Zooplankton. Because they only eat really tiny things, small fish sometimes hang out near the Jellies. Like many jellyfish, this particular species has the ability to inject toxins into attackers, so the little fish will actually swim up inside the bell to stay safe! (The toxin will cause pain and nausea in humans, but there have been no reported deaths) Spotted Jellies are ...

Acropora cervicornis Today we delve into the story of the Staghorn Coral, a really cool species that is very quickly going extinct. Staghorn Corals are named for their deer antler-like shape, and their individual branches can grow up to 2m long. They are the  fastest growing of all the western Atlantic Corals, capable of adding on another 4-8in each year. Staghorn Coral has a relationship with algae, and the Coral gets most of its food from the byproducts of the algaes' photosynthesis. Unfortunately they are a species that does not handle change very well, and  even slight variations in temperature or water salinity can damage and even kill the polyps. Hurricanes, White Band Disease, Algae overgrowth, increased predation, and human interaction has caused a 98% population decline since 1980. Staghorn Coral is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and was placed on the United States Endangered Species List in 2006. Efforts are bein...

Cyanea capillata Way back in 1870, a Lion's Mane Jellyfish washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay. Jellyfish wash up all the time, but this one was special... this one has a bell that was 7'6" in diameter and tentacles that were nearly 120 ft long! That means that the Lion's Mane Jellyfish might just be the longest animal alive ! The Lion's Mane Jellyfish doesn't always grow that large. In fact, most of the time their bell is only around a few feet wide, and those that live in the warmer waters max out around a foot and a half. Basically, the colder the water the larger they grow! The species is rarely found at latitudes lower than 42 degrees, and are nonexistent in the Southern Hemisphere. All Lion's Manes, regardless of size, have tentacles that are clustered into eight segments. There are at least 65 tentacles per segment, though there can be as many as 150, and these tentacles can grow over 100ft long! If you touch the tentacle of a Lion's Man...

Platygyra daedalea  is one of the more common species of Corals referred to as "Brain Corals." All are members of the family Faviidae. This particular example is found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Brain Corals are so named because of their tendency to resemble an animal brain, with a spherical shapes and curving grooves. This particular species grows around 1m in diameter ( Image Source ) What we see as a Brain Coral is actually the hard protective exterior created by multitudes of tiny polyps. The polyps gain nurishment with help from microscopic zooxanthellae algae. The algae lives within the groves of the Coral, staying protected. In return, it provides the coral with energy rich molecules via photosynthesis. This important relationship requires that the Brain Coral live in shallow waters that sunlight is able to reach. Brain Coral polyps are hermaphroditic, and each polyp is able to produce both sperm and eggs. Polyps can also reprodu...

( Image Source ) Aurelia aurita is an exceptionally abundant species of Jellyfish that can be found throughout the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere. Moon Jellyfish range in size from 5 to 40cm in diameter, and are most easily recognized by their translucent bodies (the top part is known as the medusa) and four, horse-shoe shaped gonads visible in the dome. Interestingly, Moon Jellyfish have no real respiratory parts. Instead, it obtains oxygen by passing it from the water through its membrane. They also have no excretory or circulatory systems as we commonly known them. They do however, have distinct males and females, who reproduce sexually. ( Image Source ) Moon Jellyfish feed primarily on zooplankton, including small mollusks and crustaceans. Their tentacles have venomous nematocysts on them, which help to capture and trap food on their mucus-covered exterior. Their tentacles then push the food along eight different canals w...

Though they look quite plant-like, Sea Anemones are actually animals. Animals of the order Actiniaria to be exact. There are over 1,000 species, which come in various shapes and sizes, and live in every ocean on the planet. The largest and most colorful Anemones are found in coastal, tropical waters, but other species can be found in the deep oceans, and even off the frigid shores of Antarctica ! Anemones are everywhere! Deep Sea Anemone ( Image Source ) All Sea Anemones are carnivores, and can range in size (depending on species) between a few millimeters and several feet! They are often radially symmetric with an adhesive foot (pedal disc) that keeps them stuck in place, though there are a handful of free floating species as well. Sea Anemones also have a single mouth opening that is surrounded by tentacles. Their tentacles serve two purposes. The first is protection. You see, the slightest touch causes the tentacles to shoot out a neurotoxin-filled filament. This toxin pa...

The Portuguese Man Of War, found in the world's warm water oceans,  is a very interesting animal indeed. First off, it is not a jellyfish . Even though it may look like a Jellyfish, and sting like a Jellyfish, (more on that later) it is a siphonophore, an animal that is actually made up of multiple organisms working together. How does this work exactly? Well, the Man Of War consists of four distinct parts, a gas-filled bladder (the pneumatophore), the tentacles which can detect and capture prey, a polyp containing digestive organs, and a polyp for reproduction. Image from ImageQuest The Man Of War takes its name from part #1- the gas-filled bladder. This polyp rests atop the water and has a sail like appearance ala a Portuguese battleship. This polyp can reach up to a foot in length and extend 6 inches above the water. The Man of War is only able to float and has very little control over its movements, which is why they tend to wash up on shore. The other th...