JELLY FISH-STRUCTURE OF AURELIA

STRUCTURE OF JELLY FISH OR AURELIA

jellyfish scientific name is Aurelia.  The common Jelly fish occurring in warm and temperate seas all over the world. It belongs to

Phylum : Coelenterata

Class : Scyphozoa

Order : Se maeostomae

Aurelia aurita is a moon Jelly fish. It represents the dominant medusoid stage.

1. Shape and size of jelly fish (Aurelia): It looks like an umbrella. Its body is circular in outline. It is 4 to 12 inches in diameter.

It is usually colorless, but transparent. It shows tetramerous radial symmetry.

2. Structure- jelly fish (Aurelia):

a) The convex side of the umbrella is called exumbrellar surface.

b) The inner concave surface of the umbrella is called sub-umbrella

surface.

c) The outline of the bell is circular with eight notches.

d) The umbrella is thick in the middle and is thin on the margin. The umbrella of Aurelia will show the following parts.

1. Mouth and oral arms : In the middle of the sub umbrellar surface a very  short and indistinct manubrium is present. At its free and tetrangular mouth is prominent. From the four corners of the mouth four long oral arms will arise. On the ventral side of each oral arm a ciliated groove is present. It leads into the mouth . The oral arms are present on per radial lines.

2. Sub - genital pits : On each 4 inter radii, 4 sub-genital pits are preset . They lead into a shallow cavity. Their function is not clearly known; they may up respiration.

3. Velarium: On the margin of the umbrella a fold is present. It is called Velarium. It is an ectodermal projection with endodermal core. Such medusae are called acraspedote medusae.

4. Lappets and tentaculocysts : On the margin of the umbrella at 4 inter radial and 4 per radial positions 8 lappets are present. In each notch a tenta culocyst is present. It is a sense organ.

5.Tentacles : On the margin of the umbrella a number of tentacles are present. The tentacles bear a number of chidoblasts.

6.Gonads : Just above the sub genital pit, on 4 inter radial positions 4 horse shoe shaped gonads are present on the floor of the stomach alternating with 4 gastric pouches.

Aurelia medusa will show a number of Radial Canals. They can be clearly seen in this transparent medusa. Four per radial, four inter radial and 8 ad radial canals ar« present. Some of them are branched. They are all connected with circular canal present on the margin of the medusa

Aurelia is diploblastic zooid. It shows outer ectoderm and inner endo­derm. In between these germ layers mesoglea is present. It is jelly like substance. Its quantify is more hence the medusa looks like a jelly fish.

JELLYFISH VIDEO

The following video of jellyfish shows the size shape and structure of JELLY FISH-AURELIA and various aspects of its life cycle.