Upside-Down Jellyfish
Cassiopea xamachana (Bigelow, 1892)
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico
Habitat: Muddy Seabeds, Shallow Lagoons and Bays
Diet: Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Algae. Supplemented by photosynthesis of symbiotic organisms.
Social Grouping: Large Aggregations
Reproduction: Reproduction is asexual and sexual. Female's eggs are fertilized by sperm released into the water by males, brooded internally. Larva are free-swimming until they anchor at a permanent spot, become medusas. Reproduction driven in part by water temperature
Lifespan: Unknown
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
- Diameter of 25 centimeters. As the name suggests, it is "upside down" compared to other jellyfish, with the saucer-shaped bell at the bottom, anchoring the jelly to the seabed, with the tentacles drifting upwards
- Symbiotic single-celled organisms in the tissues are photosynthetic, give the jellyfish a variable blue-gray-green color
- If disturbed, the jellyfish may rouse itself from the seabed and drift for a while, re-anchoring itself in a different location
- Surrounded by a layer of mucous that contains stinging cells, which not only stun or kill their prey, but also provide a deterrent to predators
- Sometimes uprooted by crabs, which will place the jellyfish on their shell as a form of protection from predators
- Have been introduced outside of their range into the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
- Primary predators are sea turtles.
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