Everything You Need to Know About Immortal Jellyfish

Emma | 08 - 25 - 2022
Immortal jellyfish

Facts about jellyfish 

Superpowers have been a topic of much discussion. The possibility of immortality and invisibility has probably crossed everyone’s mind at some point in their life. In reality, though, they don’t exist. One particular species has a unique ability that prohibits it from avoiding death. One separate species of jellyfish can regenerate. The scientific name for the everlasting jellyfish is Turritopsis dohrnii. Scientists unintentionally discovered the immortal jellyfish’s ability to live forever in the 1990s while studying it in the Mediterranean Sea.

Characteristics of Immortal Jellyfish

  • The jellyfish when hurt or starving will undergo regeneration by attaching itself to a warm surface and turning into a living blob. After turning into a blob, it undergoes a process called transdifferentiation.
  • Transdifferentiation is the process where the cells of the jellyfish will transform into a different cell type. For instance, the muscle cells of the jellyfish can transform into eggs or sperm cells, or nerve cells can transform into muscle cells.
  • Even though jellyfish are immortal, they can still die when attacked by predators, and they can only differentiate once they reach adulthood. If jellyfish tend to suffer from injuries, starvation, being removed from the water, or illness when they are in the polyps stage, they cannot regenerate and will therefore pass away.
  • The immortal jellyfish’s height is approximately 0.18 inches and its diameter ranges between 0.18-0.4, which is smaller than a pinky nail. Younger immortal jellyfish’s size is only 0.04 inches.
  • The tentacles of the immortal jellyfish are white and the older jellyfish has around 80-90 tentacles, while the younger ones have 8 tentacles. 
  • Like every other jellyfish species, immortal jellyfish neither have a heart nor a brain. 
  • The immortal jellyfish has dual powers. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually. 
  • Immortal jellyfish feed on other small aqua creatures like plankton, fish eggs, and larvae by stinging them using their tentacles. 
  • Immortal jellyfish have been great hitchhikers. By sticking themselves to the cargo ships, these jellyfish have greatly distributed themselves. They originated in the Mediterranean Sea and are now widespread around the world.

Hope the blog on facts about jellyfish was fascinating and informative. Are you ready to play a quiz on Immortal jellyfish?

The immortal jellyfish was first discovered in the mediterranean sea.
  • A. True
  • B. False
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