| Revision as of 05:03, 24 August 2017 edit124.109.8.31 (talk)No edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:26, 22 September 2017 edit undoClarities (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users911 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Distinguish|Cassiopeia (disambiguation)}} | {{Distinguish|Cassiopeia (disambiguation)}} | ||
| ] | ].]] | ||
| '''''Cassiopea''''' ('''upside-down jellyfish''') is a ] of ] and the only members of the family '''Cassiopeidae'''.<ref>{{WoRMS |id=135234 |title=Cassiopeidae |accessdate=3 August 2012}}</ref> They are found in warmer coastal regions around the world, including shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, canals, and ] flats in ], and the Caribbean and Micronesia. The ] usually lives upside-down on the bottom, which has earned them the common name. Where found, there may be numerous individuals with varying shades of white, blue, green and brown. | '''''Cassiopea''''' ('''upside-down jellyfish''') is a ] of ] and the only members of the family '''Cassiopeidae'''.<ref>{{WoRMS |id=135234 |title=Cassiopeidae |accessdate=3 August 2012}}</ref> They are found in warmer coastal regions around the world, including shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, canals, and ] flats in ], and the Caribbean and Micronesia. The ] usually lives upside-down on the bottom, which has earned them the common name. Where found, there may be numerous individuals with varying shades of white, blue, green and brown. | ||
| ⚫ | == Species == | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ==Species== | ||
| According to the '']'', this genus includes 8 species:<ref name=WoRMS>{{WoRMS |id=135253 |title=Cassiopea |accessdate=3 August 2012}}</ref> | According to the '']'', this genus includes 8 species:<ref name=WoRMS>{{WoRMS |id=135253 |title=Cassiopea |accessdate=3 August 2012}}</ref> | ||
| Line 35: | Line 34: | ||
| * ''Cassiopea ornata'' | * ''Cassiopea ornata'' | ||
| * '']'' | * '']'' | ||
| == Defence System == | |||
| ⚫ | Cassiopea have a mild sting since they are primarily ], but sensitive individuals may have a stronger reaction. The photosynthesis occurs because, like most ]s, they host ] in their tissues.<ref>{{cite book |last=Murphy |first=Richard C. |title=Coral Reefs: Cities Under The Sea |year=2002 |publisher=The Darwin Press |location=Princeton, New Jersey |ISBN=978-0-87850-138-0 | ref=harv}}</ref> The stinging cells are excreted in a mucus; swimming over the jellyfish (especially using swim fins) may cause transparent, essentially invisible, sheets of this mucus to be lifted up into the water column, where they are then encountered by unsuspecting swimmers.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} The stings, appearing in the form of a red rash-like skin irritation, are known for being extraordinarily itchy. Sometimes this jellyfish is picked up by the ] '']'' (family ]) and carried on its back. The crab uses the jellyfish to defend itself against possible predators. | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | == External links == | ||
| {{Commons}} | {{Commons}} | ||
| {{Wikispecies}} | {{Wikispecies}} | ||
| Line 47: | Line 49: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
Revision as of 17:26, 22 September 2017
| Cassiopea | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cassiopea sp. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Scyphozoa |
| Order: | Rhizostomae |
| Suborder: | Kolpophorae |
| Family: | Cassiopeidae Agassiz, 1862 |
| Genus: | Cassiopea Péron & Lesueur, 1809 |
| Species | |
|
8 species, see text | |
Cassiopea (upside-down jellyfish) is a genus of true jellyfish and the only members of the family Cassiopeidae. They are found in warmer coastal regions around the world, including shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, canals, and turtle grass flats in Florida, and the Caribbean and Micronesia. The medusa usually lives upside-down on the bottom, which has earned them the common name. Where found, there may be numerous individuals with varying shades of white, blue, green and brown.
Species
According to the World Register of Marine Species, this genus includes 8 species:
- Cassiopea andromeda
- Cassiopea depressa
- Cassiopea frondosa
- Cassiopea medusa
- Cassiopea mertensi
- Cassiopea ndrosia
- Cassiopea ornata
- Cassiopea xamachana
Defence System
Cassiopea have a mild sting since they are primarily photosynthetic, but sensitive individuals may have a stronger reaction. The photosynthesis occurs because, like most corals, they host zooxanthellae in their tissues. The stinging cells are excreted in a mucus; swimming over the jellyfish (especially using swim fins) may cause transparent, essentially invisible, sheets of this mucus to be lifted up into the water column, where they are then encountered by unsuspecting swimmers. The stings, appearing in the form of a red rash-like skin irritation, are known for being extraordinarily itchy. Sometimes this jellyfish is picked up by the crab Dorippe frascone (family Dorippidae) and carried on its back. The crab uses the jellyfish to defend itself against possible predators.
References
- "Cassiopeidae". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- "Cassiopea". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- Murphy, Richard C. (2002). Coral Reefs: Cities Under The Sea. Princeton, New Jersey: The Darwin Press. ISBN 978-0-87850-138-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
External links
- Photo of a Crab carrying an Upside Down Jellyfish (Cassiopea andromeda)
- Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum entry on Cassiopea andromeda
- A Symbiotic Lifestyle: C. xamachana and Zooxanthellae