Lobed Comb Jelly

The comb jelly is a marine invertebrate that swims by beating cilia in comb-like rows. Although some species resemble jellyfish in appearance and have tentacles, comb jellies and jellyfish belong to two different phyla. Cnidarians are jellyfish, but comb jellies are phylum Ctenophora. Ctenophora is derived from Greek roots that indicate "comb carrier." So far, about 150 species of comb jelly have been recognised and documented. The sea gooseberry is one example. The comb jelly is a lovely oval-shaped creature with eight rows of tiny comblike plates that it beats to move around in the water. The comb rows split up (diffract) light as it swims, creating a shimmering rainbow appearance. Some comb jellies can enlarge their stomachs to hold prey nearly half their own size, making them voracious predators of other jellyfish.

Lobed Comb Jelly - Taxonomy, Habitat, Behavioural Traits and Features

Taxonomy

Difference Between Comb Jelly And Jellyfish

Habitat, Behavioural Traits and Other Features

• Habitat- Ctenophores can be found all over the planet, from the tropics to the poles, and at all depths of the water. Freshwater comb jellies are not found. They live in brackish bays, marshes, and estuaries, as well as in the ocean.

• Anatomy and Bioluminescence- Their bodies are made up of a gelatinous mass with a two-cell thick layer on the outside and another lining the inside chamber. The egg-shaped cydippids with retractable tentacles that capture food, the flat typically combless platyctenida, and the large-mouthed beroids, which prey on other ctenophores, are also members of the phylum. The majority of species have eight comb rows of cilia that run the length of their bodies. The largest non-colonial animals that employ cilia for locomotion are ctenophores. The rainbow appearance is created by the comb rows scattering light. When disturbed, most species are bioluminescent blue or green, and some flashlight or expel bioluminescent "ink." Comb jellies have a variety of body layouts.

• Behaviour in the Natural State- Despite the fact that comb jellies can form large groups, they usually live alone. Neurotransmitters used by ctenophores differ from those used by other animals. A comb jelly does not have a brain or nervous system, but it does have a nerve network. Nerve impulses control the movement of the animal as well as the capture and manipulation of prey. It possesses a calcium carbonate statolith that it utilises to sense direction. The jelly can "taste" prey thanks to chemoreceptive cells around its mouth.

• Dietary Needs- They eat small crustaceans, fish larvae, and mollusc larvae, as well as other ctenophores and zooplankton. To catch prey, they use a variety of tactics. Some build web-like structures with their tentacles, while others ambush creatures and hang sticky lures to attract prey.

• Breeding and Reproduction- Only a few species have different sexes, but the majority of comb jellies are simultaneous hermaphrodites. Self-fertilization and cross-fertilization are both possible. The mouth is where gametes are released. Fertilization occurs frequently in the water, although gametes are carried into the mouth for internal fertilisation in Coeloplana and Tjalfiella. Fertilized eggs develop directly into adults, without the need for larval stages or parental care. As long as there is enough food, comb jellies create gametes. When damaged, several species heal and reproduce asexually as well as sexually. These animals' little bits break off and mature into adults. Most species are unknown, but those that have been researched have life spans ranging from less than a month to three years.

• Role In The Ecosystem- Despite the fact that the animals are not directly consumed by people, they are vital to the marine food chain. Some species control zooplankton, which if left unchecked might wipe off phytoplankton. Invasive comb jellies carried in ship ballast water reduced fish catches in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea by devouring fish larvae and crustaceans that mature fish eat.

• Threat and Conservation- There is no conservation status for ctenophore species. Comb jellies aren't regarded as threatened or endangered in general. Climate change, pollution, and weather have an impact on them, just as they do on other marine animals. Several species, notably the endangered leatherback sea turtle, feed on comb jellies.
  
  

Interesting Facts About Lobed Comb Jelly

1. The comb jelly is not actually a type of jellyfish, despite its appearance. According to studies, they are genetically unrelated to one another.

2. They are prehistoric sea creatures that have existed for nearly 500 million years on the earth. That puts them on par with dinosaurs in terms of age. They are among the world's oldest living species.

3. They detect chemical changes in the water around them to find food. These compounds alert the comb jellies to the presence of food nearby. The comb jelly can find its next meal by following the potency of these compounds until they get stronger.

4. Other comb jellyfish that are larger than themselves will be eaten by comb jellies.

5. There are no intestines, lungs, or stomach in comb jellies. Instead, oxygen and nutrients travel via the gastrodermis or even the epidermis directly.

6. This allows them to float around without being weighed down by bones or muscles.

7. Because of their transparency, comb jellies are excellent at camouflaging, which is one of their best defences against predators. Some of them also create a red pigment that helps them blend in with the darkness.

8. Comb jellies require a steady food supply to discharge sperm and eggs on a daily basis. They will shrink in size and stop producing gametes until they can feed adequately again if they don't obtain enough nutrients.

9. They don't have stinging cells, therefore they're easy to catch.

10. The majority of comb jelly species have been discovered to be hermaphroditic. This implies they can function as both males and females, making reproduction easier for them. Every day, they discharge both sperm and eggs into the water, relying on nature to match them- either with gametes from another comb jelly or with their own.

11. Although lobed comb jelly is not a jellyfish it is often referred to as lobed comb jellyfish mainly because they have similar medusa growth stages.
    
    

Conclusion

Ctenophores with no tentacles but many more comb-rows than modern forms have been found in Lagerstätten as far back as the early Cambrian, about 515 million years ago, despite their frail, gelatinous bodies. Nonetheless, a recent molecular phylogenetics investigation reveals that the common ancestor lived 350 million to 88 million years ago, contradicting prior estimates that it lived 66 million to 88 million years ago after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Ancient comb jellies continue to astound scientists despite going extinct over 400 million years ago. Long assumed to be exclusively soft-bodied, these predatory sea animals may have had hard, skeleton-like components, similar to their modern equivalents. Given such modern evolutionary growth of these creatures, there is no doubt that they will survive and thrive for a long time.