Aurelia (A Jellyfish)- An Overview

Aurelia is commonly referred to as jellyfish because it is made of a jelly-like substance. A jellyfish is not true fish which is a vertebrate animal with a backbone. It belongs to the class Scyphozoa of phylum Coelenterata. The most common scyphozoan jellyfish is Aurelia aurita (popularly known as moon jelly). It represents the dominant medusoid stage.

Systematic Position

Phylum: Coelenterata

Class: Scyphozoa

Order: Semaeostomae

Family: Ulmaridae

Genus: Aurelia

Species: aurita

Habit and Habitat of Aurelia (Jellyfish)

• It is cosmopolitan jellyfish occurring in warm and temperate seas ranging in temperature from 6-19ºc all over the world.

• It lives in coastal waters singly or in large shoals.

• It can live in waters with a salt content as low as 0.6%. Salt content and water temperature affect the shape, size, and reproductive strategies.

• They thrive best in waters with temperatures are above 17.5°C and salinity greater than 38.0%, largest.

• It ranges in depth between the epipelagic zone and the mesopelagic zone (200 to 1,000 m).

• It is found either floating with water currents or waves or swimming feebly by the contraction movements of its bell.

• It is carni­vorous, feeds on small organisms with the help of its long oral arms.

• It responds to various stimuli and is most active in diffuse light.