Medusa - creatures from another planet (31 photos)

A long time ago, even before dinosaurs roamed the earth and the first sharks, these alien beings have inhabited the seas and oceans. They - some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet, living on the Earth still 500-700 million years ago.

This jellyfish - some of the most exciting, beautiful and mysterious sea creatures.


Jellyfish seem supernatural creatures, alien beings largely due to its strange shapes and colors. Nature has created them according to their own, some incredible drawings: their body resembles an umbrella, or a bell, sometimes the ball.



His name has received a jellyfish because of the similarity with stirring legendary snake-haired Medusa from Greek mythology.



There are about 2,000 different species of jellyfish. Some live in freshwater, others found in the seas and oceans.



As already mentioned, the jellyfish has lived on earth 500-700 million years ago. This is a very long time. For example, the first dinosaurs appeared about 225 million years ago and the most ancient representatives of sharks existed about 420-450 million years ago ...



The structure is also extremely jellyfish: they consist of about 95% water, 3-4% - of salt and 1-2% - of protein. They have no heart, no eyes, no circulatory system, no gills ...

Cassiopeia jellyfish, living mainly in the Mediterranean Sea.


Most jellyfish consists of three parts: 1) gelatinous body; 2) tentacles that sting and catch prey; 3) mouth, which absorbs food.



However, jellyfish retain their shape only in water. Remove the jellyfish from the water - and see for yourself how it is that hour seeks to become a flat drop trembling.



Ancient alien beings feed on plankton, fish eggs, small crustaceans. Famous tentacles of jellyfish with a threadlike structure, luring prey, pounding it into his mouth.





Despite the vague senses, jellyfish can smell, smells, to distinguish light from darkness.



The newly discovered jellyfish Tiburonia granrojo. The diameter of the dome - up to 1 meter.



Using special compartments on the sides of its "bell" jellyfish keeps the balance in the water. Swim jellyfish help undercurrents. Against the current jellyfish swims alone, moving the jet way, pushing the water out of the cavity of his "bellĀ».



Medusa breathes all over, because it has no lungs and gills as well as any other organ of respiration. The walls of its gelatinous body is very thin, so oxygen molecules freely cross the jelly-like "skin" on the internal organs. It turns out that jellyfish breathing entire surface of his body.



Pelagia noctiluca scintillans poisonous jellyfish.





Jellyfish have a variety of sizes. The diameter of "dome" can range from 3 millimeters, the size of a thimble up to 2.5 meters. The most common are the jellyfish the size of a saucer.



The biggest jellyfish - the so-called "lion's mane" that lives in the Arctic Sea. Her body reaches 2.5 meters, and the tentacles - 37 meters in length. It is almost half a football field!

The lion's mane:


Jellyfish live at different depths. some float on the surface, while others are immersed to a depth of 10,000 meters!



Some jellyfish "sting." Along the edges of the "bell" located jellyfish tentacles with stinging (nettle) cells, which can cause burns and paralyze prey. Burning jellyfish quietly lying in wait for the unwary, and animals that are victims of their venom. Even if the break is a jelly-like creation of water into a thousand pieces, it will not save you - jellyfish just turn into a thousand tiny monsters that can sting.



"Stinging" jellyfish can cause harm to people, but are vital to smaller marine animals - small fish and crabs that cling silently to the bottom of it and thus easily travel on their "host" as a liner.

Aurelia aurita jellyfish or screech of squad diskomeduz.


The most dangerous for the human being is the sea wasp jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), inhabiting near the northern coast of Australia and in the waters of Southeast Asia. Every year from its poison killed up to 65 people. The lethal outcome occurs within three minutes. This is one of the most poisonous and deadly creatures on earth.

Sea wasp:


Medusa - one of the most mysterious and incredibly beautiful inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Meeting with them can be fatal, but despite the "bad" reputation, most jellyfish are harmless.





Medusa purpuropolosaya Chrysaora Colorata.


In fact, the jellyfish - just one of the most beautiful sea creatures. And the most unusual-like creatures from another planet.



The small 2.5-cm jellyfish.


A few photos of the beautiful jellyfish.









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