Lion's mane jellyfish and blue whale. Giant cyanea jellyfish: description, lifestyle, interesting facts

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, the 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 carried out 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. Death 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.

• Type: Cnidaria (Coelenterata) Hatschek, 1888 = Coelenterates, cnidarians
• Subphylum: Medusozoa = Jellyfish-producing
• Class: Scyphozoa Götte, 1887 = Scyphozoa
• Order: Semaeostomeae = Discomedousae
• Genus: Cyanea = Arctic cyanea
• Species: Cyanea capillata (Linnaeus, 1758) = Hairy cyanea (giant arctic jellyfish; lion's mane jellyfish)

Hairy or arctic cyanea (Cyanea capillata, synonym - C. arctica) is a species of scyphoid from the order of disc jellyfish, in which the jellyfish stage reaches very large sizes. The Arctic cyanea is the largest jellyfish in the World Ocean. In large specimens, which are not found very often, the diameter of the dome can reach 2 m, while the tentacles of such unique specimens can stretch up to 20 m. Moreover, the largest jellyfish had tentacles 36.5 meters long, with an umbrella diameter of almost 2.3 meters . But usually most cyanea grow no more than 50-60 cm. This species also has another very interesting name: Lion's mane jellyfish

Hairy cyanea has a wide range: it can be found in almost all northern seas of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. At the same time, cyanea is found only in the surface layers of water and does not float far from the shores. This disc jellyfish is not found in warmer seas, such as the Black and Azov Seas.

The body of Arctic cyanide can have a variety of colors, but red and brown tones usually predominate in it. The upper part of the dome in adult specimens is yellowish, and its edges are usually red. The oral lobes of cyanea are raspberry-red. The marginal tentacles are usually light in color, pink and purple. Unlike adults, young individuals are much brighter in color.

The edges of the cyanea bell, which has a hemispherical shape, are transformed into 16 blades separated from each other by cutouts. At the same time, at the base of these notches are the marginal bodies of the rhopalia, which contain sensory organs such as vision (in the form of eyes) and balance - their role is played by statocysts. The marginal tentacles are long, they are attached to the inner concave side of the dome under the lobes between the rhopalia. The marginal tentacles are collected in 8 bundles. The mouth opening is located in the center of the lower part of the dome. It is surrounded by large, folded oral lobes hanging down like curtains. The digestive system is quite branched. Its radial canals extend from the stomach, then enter the oral and marginal lobes of the bell, where they form additional branches.

In its life cycle, cyanea has a succession of two generations: sexual and asexual. The sexual or medusoid generation leads an active lifestyle and lives in the water column, while individuals of the asexual polypoid generation lead an attached bottom lifestyle.

Jellyfish of the sexual generation cyanea are dioecious. Reproduction occurs as follows. Cyana males release mature sperm into the water through their mouth. From here they penetrate into the brood chambers of females, which are located in the oral lobes, where fertilization of the eggs occurs, and then their further development. Motile planula larvae emerging from fertilized eggs leave the female's brood chambers. They swim in the water column for several days, and then, having chosen a suitable place, attach to the substrate. After this, the larva transforms into a single polyp, which is called a scyphistoma. At this stage, the polyp actively feeds, due to which it increases in size. It, by budding daughter scyphistomas from itself, can thus reproduce asexually. In the spring, the process of strobilation or transverse division of the scyphistoma occurs, as a result of which active larvae of ethereal jellyfish are formed. In appearance, they resemble transparent stars with eight rays. At this stage of development, they do not have marginal tentacles and oral lobes. The ethers break away from the mother scyphistoma and float away, and by mid-summer they gradually turn into jellyfish.

Cyanean jellyfish most of the time float freely in the near-surface layer of ocean water, periodically contracting their dome and flapping their edge blades. At the same time, the numerous tentacles of the jellyfish are straightened and extended to their full length. Cyaneas are predators, so their long tentacles, densely packed with stinging cells, form a dense trapping network under the dome. When the stinging cells are fired, a strong poison penetrates the victim's body, as a result of which small aquatic animals die, and significant damage to the body is caused to larger ones. The main prey of cyanides are various planktonic organisms, including other jellyfish.

The Arctic cyanide jellyfish is also dangerous for humans, since its tentacles can inflict very painful burns on careless divers. Basically, the burn leaves only local redness on the body of the stung person, which goes away over time, but one death has also been recorded...

The Lion's Mane (Cyanea capillata) or Hairy Cyanea (scientific name) is the largest known species of jellyfish. These jellyfish get their name from their spectacular trailing, tangled tentacles that resemble a lion's mane. The range of the hairy Cyanea is limited to the cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and they are rarely found south of 42°N latitude. Similar jellyfish, which may be the same species, are known to live near Australia and New Zealand.

The largest lion's mane specimen ever recorded washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay in 1870. Its bell (body), with a diameter of 2.29 m and tentacles of 37 m, was longer than the blue whale. For a long time, Cyanea was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest animal, until in 1964 it washed up on the Scottish coast of a giant sea worm (Bootlace), which turned out to be 55 meters long. Although worms can easily stretch to several times their natural length, they may not actually be that big.

These jellyfish are beautiful and interesting creatures, but it is still better to admire them in safety, for example, on board the new Princess yacht. Now many people can afford to buy a yacht for sea trips and travel, but which model to choose has always depended on the purpose for which it was intended. Just to watch the marine life, it is best to purchase some spacious Princess yacht, built at a shipyard in the UK. Then you will definitely not be afraid of any deadly stings of jellyfish.

But the most deadly weapon of jellyfish is their so-called stinging cells. Almost all species have them, but their degree of toxicity varies. Stinging cells can be compared to poisonous capsules. Inside such cells, long hollow filaments are twisted into a spiral, and only small sensitive hairs stick out outside. As soon as you touch any of them, the thread is thrown out of the capsule, piercing the victim. And immediately poison flows through this thread.

Although bells grow up to 2.5 meters in diameter in some individuals, these jellyfish can vary greatly in size. Those that live in lower latitudes are much smaller than their distant northern counterparts, with bells about 50 centimeters in diameter. The tentacles of large specimens can stretch up to 30 meters or more. These extremely sticky tentacles are grouped into eight clusters, and each cluster contains more than 100 tentacles.

The bell is divided into eight lobes, giving it the appearance of an eight-pointed star. Displayingly intricate, colorful weapons are hidden in the center of the bell, they are much shorter than the silvery, thin tentacles that line the edges of the bell. The size of the cyanea also determines the coloration of the jellyfish, with larger specimens being a bright crimson or dark purple while smaller specimens of the class are lighter or orange in color.

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 cyanide 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.

It is no secret that each group of vertebrate animals (phylum, class, family, genus) has its own record holders for certain achievements. Invertebrates are not far behind them, because among them there are also those who can be envied! One of these creatures is the giant cyanea jellyfish.

Giant in the sea

The hairy cyanea is the largest jellyfish in the whole world. This is a real giant of the seas and oceans. Its full name is Cuanea arctica, which translated from Latin sounds like “jellyfish.” This beautifully glowing pink-violet creature can be found in the high latitudes of the northern jellyfish, distributed in all northern seas flowing into the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. You can see it directly nearby shores, in the upper layers of water.Researchers who studied the hairy cyanea initially looked for it in the Azov and Black Seas, but never found it.

Cyanea jellyfish. Impressive size

According to the latest oceanographic studies cited by members of the expedition of the so-called Cousteau team, the diameter of the gelatinous “body” (or dome) of cyanea can reach 2.5 m. But that’s what it’s all about! The pride of the hairy arctic jellyfish is its tentacles. The length of these processes ranges from 26 to 42 m! Scientists have come to the conclusion that the size of these jellyfish depends entirely on their living conditions. According to statistical data, it is the individuals that inhabit the coldest ocean waters that are enormous in size.

External structure

The hairy cyanea jellyfish has a fairly varied coloration of its body. Brown, purple and red tones predominate here. When a jellyfish becomes an adult, its dome (“body”) on top begins to clearly turn yellow, and its edges begin to turn red. The tentacles located at the edges of the dome are purple-pink, and the mouth lobes are red-crimson. It is because of the long tentacles that the cyanea was nicknamed the hairy (or hairy) jellyfish. The dome itself, or bell, of the Arctic cyanide has a hemispherical structure. Its edges smoothly transform into 16 blades, which, in turn, are separated from each other by specific cutouts.

Lifestyle

These creatures spend the lion's share of their numerous time in so-called free swimming - they soar on the surfaces of sea waters, periodically contracting their gelatinous dome and flapping their outer blades. The hairy cyanide is a predator, and a very active one at that. It feeds on plankton floating in the surface layers of water, crustaceans and small fish. In especially “hungry years”, when there is literally nothing to eat, cyanea can starve for a long time. But in some cases, these creatures become cannibals, devouring their own relatives.

Members of Cousteau's team describe in their research the method of hunting that the jellyfish uses. The hairy cyanide rises to the surface of the water, spreading its long tentacles in different directions. She waits for her victim. Researchers have noticed that in this state, cyanea very much resembles. As soon as the victim swims closer to such “algae” and touches it, the jellyfish immediately wraps it around the prey, releasing it with the help of so-called poison that can paralyze. As soon as the prey stops showing signs of life, the jellyfish eats it. The venom of this gelatinous giant is quite strong and is produced along the entire length of the tentacles.

Reproduction

This creature reproduces in a very unusual way. The male releases his sperm through the oral cavity into the female's mouth. Actually, that's all. It is in the mouth of the female jellyfish that the formation of embryos occurs. When the “babies” grow up, they will emerge as larvae. These larvae, in turn, will attach to the substrate, turning into a single polyp. After a few months, the grown polyp will begin to multiply, after which the larvae of future jellyfish will appear.

Until now, the largest caught Arctic cyanide, officially registered in documents, is a creature thrown up in 1870 on the coast of the Gulf of America. The diameter of the dome of this giant was 2.3 m, and the length of the tentacles was 36.5 m. Currently, scientists know for certain It is known that there are specimens with a gelatinous body diameter of up to 2.5 m and a tentacle length of 42 m. Such jellyfish were recorded using a scientific underwater bathyscaphe as part of oceanological expeditions, but no one has yet managed to catch at least one such individual.

The cyanea jellyfish is known among divers for its painful sting. Officially, the world's largest jellyfish is considered dangerous to humans. But in fact, only one death was recorded. As a rule, such a burn leaves local redness on the person’s skin, which goes away over some time. Sometimes rashes appear on the body, accompanied by painful sensations. And all because the giant’s venom contains toxins that can cause an allergic reaction. However, if you are stung by a giant cyanea jellyfish, it is recommended that you see a doctor.