Animal Diversity Report: Comparison of the Nervous and Reproductive Systems of the Compass Jellyfish, Axolotl, Horseshoe Crab, and
The Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) - The Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) is a species of jellyfish that can be found in cold and temperate waters near the continental shelf regions of the Irish and North Seas, the Mediterranean, and coastal regions of South Africa (Doyle et. al.). The Compass Jellyfish belongs to the Genus Chrysaora and the species hysoscella. Compass jellyfish have a medusa type body that exhibits radial symmetry at the oral - aboral axis, with brown striations covering the body, thus giving it the appearance of ticks on a compass. They also have a flattened, saucer shaped bell that measures an average of 15.3 cm in diameter, and can weigh between 0.2 - 2.4 kg, as well as having a total of twenty-four tentacles on its aboral end that are used to capture prey (Hays et. al.). Currently the Compass Jellyfish is not on any endangered species …show more content…
These nerve nets are not part of a developed nervous system, but rather are multiple nervous cells that have formed together to create a “nerve net”. Compass Jellyfish are able to sense, and maintain equilibrium due to specialized sensory cells known as statocysts, which are part of the larger sensory structure rhopalia. These rhopalia help the jellyfish to sense light, as well as sensory pits that can detect chemical changes in the water (Arai, 1997). These are vitally important to the Compass Jellyfish to detect changes in water salt and pH, and could prove useful in finding more optimal habitats, with the ever increasing acidity of the ocean. It has even been speculated to be used as a form of communication between other
The Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) - The Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) is a species of jellyfish that can be found in cold and temperate waters near the continental shelf regions of the Irish and North Seas, the Mediterranean, and coastal regions of South Africa (Doyle et. al.). The Compass Jellyfish belongs to the Genus Chrysaora and the species hysoscella. Compass jellyfish have a medusa type body that exhibits radial symmetry at the oral - aboral axis, with brown striations covering the body, thus giving it the appearance of ticks on a compass. They also have a flattened, saucer shaped bell that measures an average of 15.3 cm in diameter, and can weigh between 0.2 - 2.4 kg, as well as having a total of twenty-four tentacles on its aboral end that are used to capture prey (Hays et. al.). Currently the Compass Jellyfish is not on any endangered species …show more content…
These nerve nets are not part of a developed nervous system, but rather are multiple nervous cells that have formed together to create a “nerve net”. Compass Jellyfish are able to sense, and maintain equilibrium due to specialized sensory cells known as statocysts, which are part of the larger sensory structure rhopalia. These rhopalia help the jellyfish to sense light, as well as sensory pits that can detect chemical changes in the water (Arai, 1997). These are vitally important to the Compass Jellyfish to detect changes in water salt and pH, and could prove useful in finding more optimal habitats, with the ever increasing acidity of the ocean. It has even been speculated to be used as a form of communication between other