Jellyfish Kayak
Friday, October 12, 2007
What would you think if I told you that you could go
for a kayak and then get out and snorkel and check
out an entire bed of upside down jellyfish? Would you
be intrigued or a bit freaked out? We have had
clients that go either way.
Upside down jellyfish are quite an unique sight. They live in shallow water and frequently in the mangroves. They reach 12-14 inches in diameter. They reproduce sexually in one part of their life and asexually in another part. They have lacy frilly ruffles. They appear to glow in the dark. They contain symbiotic golden algae. Most of their food is produced by the symbiotic algae. These same algae produce oxygen which allows the jellyfish to survive in oxygen poor water.
Upside-down jellyfishes have more than 40 mini mouth openings. They are invertebrates and their bodies are 95% water, 3% salt, and 2% protein. They usually lie on the bottom of the water and can be mistaken for the sea anemone. They have a sting, but it is minor and they do not sting often.
The jellyfish starts out as free swimming organism, and as soon as it reaches 2 centimeters long it inverts its bell and goes to the bottom of the water where it lands upside-down.
Upside down jellyfish are quite an unique sight. They live in shallow water and frequently in the mangroves. They reach 12-14 inches in diameter. They reproduce sexually in one part of their life and asexually in another part. They have lacy frilly ruffles. They appear to glow in the dark. They contain symbiotic golden algae. Most of their food is produced by the symbiotic algae. These same algae produce oxygen which allows the jellyfish to survive in oxygen poor water.
Upside-down jellyfishes have more than 40 mini mouth openings. They are invertebrates and their bodies are 95% water, 3% salt, and 2% protein. They usually lie on the bottom of the water and can be mistaken for the sea anemone. They have a sting, but it is minor and they do not sting often.
The jellyfish starts out as free swimming organism, and as soon as it reaches 2 centimeters long it inverts its bell and goes to the bottom of the water where it lands upside-down.