How Jellyfish Work

   For the 8th Grade class trip, we went to Corpus Christi to go on the USS Lexington, the beach, and the aquarium. There were many jellyfish on the beach and I got really curious about them so that is why I am doing a blog about them. Jellyfish are some of the most unusual and mysterious creatures. They have been around for more than 650 million years. Did you know that there are thousands of different species of Jellyfish? I didn't know that! Something else that surprised me was Jellyfish are actually plankton. They can range in size from less than an inch to nearly 7 ft long with tentacles up to 100 ft long. Jellyfish are about 98 percent water. That is crazy! If they were washed up on the beach, the jellyfish would dissapear as the water evaporates. Most of them are transparent and bell-shaped. They don't have bones, brains, or a heart. Jellyfish detect smell and orient themselves to see light. They have rudimentary sensory nerves at the base of their tentacles. Jellyfish have 6 basic parts which are the epidermis, gastrodermis, mesoglea, gastrovascualr cavity, orifice, and tentacles. Jellyfish are some really interesting animals! 

Citations:

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/jellyfish.htm

http://www.sportdiver.com/files/imagecache/enlarged_image/_images/201301/jelly.jpg