Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the world's oceans. The Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the world. What to do if you are stung by a jellyfish

It is no secret that each group of vertebrate animals (phylum, class, family, genus) has its own record holders for certain achievements. Invertebrates are not far behind them, because among them there are also those who can be envied! One of these creatures is the giant cyanea jellyfish.

Giant in the sea

The hairy cyanea is the largest jellyfish in the whole world. This is a real giant of the seas and oceans. Its full name is Cuanea arctica, which is translated from Latin language sounds like "jellyfish" This beautifully glowing pink-violet creature can be found in the high latitudes of the northern region, the jellyfish is common in all northern seas, flowing into the Quiet and atlantic oceans. You can see it directly near the shores, in upper layers water. Researchers who studied the hairy cyanea initially looked for it in the Azov and Black Seas, but never found it.

Cyanea jellyfish. Impressive size

According to the latest oceanographic studies cited by members of the expedition of the so-called Cousteau team, the diameter of the gelatinous “body” (or dome) of cyanea can reach 2.5 m. But that’s what it’s all about! Hairy's pride arctic jellyfish- these are her tentacles. The length of these processes ranges from 26 to 42 m! Scientists have come to the conclusion that the size of these jellyfish depends entirely on their living conditions. According to statistical data, it is the individuals that inhabit the coldest ocean waters that are enormous in size.

External structure

The hairy cyanea jellyfish has a fairly varied coloration of its body. Brown, purple and red tones predominate here. When a jellyfish becomes an adult, its dome (“body”) on top begins to clearly turn yellow, and its edges begin to turn red. The tentacles located at the edges of the dome are purple-pink, and the mouth lobes are red-crimson. It is because of the long tentacles that the cyanea was nicknamed the hairy (or hairy) jellyfish. The dome itself, or bell, of the Arctic cyanide has a hemispherical structure. Its edges smoothly transform into 16 blades, which, in turn, are separated from each other by specific cutouts.

Lifestyle

These creatures spend the lion's share of their numerous time in the so-called free swimming- float on surfaces sea ​​waters, periodically contracting its gelatinous dome and flapping its outer blades. The hairy cyanide is a predator, and a very active one at that. It feeds on plankton floating in the surface layers of water, crustaceans and small fish. In especially “hungry years”, when there is literally nothing to eat, cyanea can starve for a long time. But in some cases, these creatures become cannibals, devouring their own relatives.

Members of Cousteau's team describe in their research the method of hunting that the jellyfish uses. The hairy cyanide rises to the surface of the water, spreading its long tentacles in different directions. She waits for her victim. Researchers have noticed that in this state, cyanea very much resembles. As soon as the victim swims closer to such “algae” and touches it, the jellyfish immediately wraps it around the prey, releasing it with the help of so-called poison that can paralyze. As soon as the prey stops showing signs of life, the jellyfish eats it. The venom of this gelatinous giant is quite strong and is produced along the entire length of the tentacles.

Reproduction

This creature multiplies very in an unusual way. The male releases his sperm through the oral cavity into the female's mouth. Actually, that's all. It is in the mouth of the female jellyfish that the formation of embryos occurs. When the “babies” grow up, they will emerge as larvae. These larvae, in turn, will attach to the substrate, turning into a single polyp. After a few months, the grown polyp will begin to multiply, after which the larvae of future jellyfish will appear.

Until now, the largest caught Arctic cyanide, officially registered in documents, is a creature thrown up in 1870 on the coast of the Gulf of America. The diameter of the dome of this giant was 2.3 m, and the length of the tentacles was 36.5 m. Currently, scientists know for certain It is known that there are specimens with a gelatinous body diameter of up to 2.5 m and a tentacle length of 42 m. Such jellyfish were recorded using a scientific underwater bathyscaphe as part of oceanological expeditions, but no one has yet managed to catch at least one such individual.

The cyanea jellyfish is known among divers for its painful sting. Officially, the world's largest jellyfish is considered dangerous to humans. But in fact, only one death was recorded. As a rule, such a burn leaves local redness on the person’s skin, which goes away over some time. Sometimes rashes appear on the body, accompanied by painful sensations. And all because the giant’s venom contains toxins that can cause an allergic reaction. However, if you are stung by a giant cyanea jellyfish, it is recommended that you see a doctor.

Reading time: 4 minutes. Published 07/28/2019

The underwater world always attracts us with its secrets and riddles. The most mysterious creatures- jellyfish. The translucent bodies of jellyfish are 90% water. Habitats: salty seas and oceans.

Despite the attractive and unusual appearance, jellyfish pose a danger to humans, and meeting some representatives can lead to fatal outcome. Special attention large individuals deserve.

We are offering to you TOP 10 largest jellyfish in the world.

Jellyfish boasts large sizes. It reaches 2.3 m, and this is only the body, and the tentacles can reach up to 37 m. It is almost impossible to meet with this species, since the Cyanea jellyfish prefers the seabed to surface waters.

When meeting this jellyfish, a burn appears on a person’s hands and nothing more. Habitat: the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Bell of Nomura

The body of the giant jellyfish reaches 2 m. It has received a different name among the people. She is called the Lion's Mane. In appearance, the jellyfish looks like a hairy ball and weighs 200 kg.

The poison of the Nomura Bell is allergenic. When meeting her, if a person is allergic, he may die.

The tentacles flutter along the water surface at a distance of up to 4 m, the body length is 1 m. The species does not pose a danger to humans.

If the tentacles are damaged, even while they are separated from the jellyfish, they can sting everyone in their path.

Length of the body, colored in saturated purple, does not exceed 70 cm. Compared to the others, the striped representative is considered the most beautiful and charming jellyfish.

Upon contact with the tentacles, the poison on the human body causes severe burns.

Body length reaches 0.6 m, weight – 60 kg. Habitat: Mediterranean and Black Sea. Jellyfish venom is not dangerous to humans; it is only slightly irritating to the skin. Jellyfish are considered peaceful, both for humans and for other inhabitants of the underwater world.

She even hides small fish under her dome when they are in danger. Cornerot - used in cooking, I make it from it medicines.

Habitat: the coasts of Australia and Indonesia. The poison is dangerous for humans, it causes a heart attack. The jellyfish is transparent and difficult to notice. However, with such characteristics, it has 60 tentacles and 24 eyes.

Such “weapons” allow you to notice the victim from afar and sting wherever possible.

The length of the body is 40 cm. Upon contact with human skin, it causes a slight burn. Used in exotic gourmet cuisine. In addition, she is called “Eared”.

It gets its name from the mouth cavities that hang down like ears.

A small representative with a body length of no more than 25 cm. By appearance it looks like a sailboat. Dome blue or purple flowers. The tentacles are very long, sometimes reaching 50 m.

Beautiful, but dangerous! Moreover, the most dangerous of all. When a person is exposed to poison, all systems and organs in the body are affected, and people drown.

Pelagia or Nightsvetka

Body length - 12 cm. It got its name because it glows in water. The dome is painted purple-red, with beautiful ruffles along the edge. I

d Night lights are dangerous, cause burns, and for many, an encounter with a jellyfish ends in a state of shock.

Umbrella up to 10 cm, tentacles up to 1 m. The most poisonous representative. The poison has a great danger to health, and, like a time bomb, it does not appear immediately. After a few days, a person may feel unwell, nausea appears, and the lungs swell.

Jellyfish do not specifically hunt humans. Only when people swim very close to them do they try to defend themselves. While in the water, you need to be extremely careful and look around so as not to collide with a jellyfish.

The most big jellyfish in the world - arctic cyanide. This is a very interesting inhabitant of sea waters in its lifestyle and structure. Lives in cold areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where conditions are extremely harsh. It lives in the upper layers of water at a depth of no more than 20 meters. Kept in open waters, moves with sea ​​currents. TO coastline comes very rarely.

The coloring of this jellyfish is remarkable. In young individuals it is much brighter than in mature ones. Common colors are dirty orange, purple and brown. Wherein top part domes for the most part yellow. The oral lobes are red-crimson. The tentacles located along the edges of the dome have purple and pink shades.

The dome has a hemispherical shape. Its edges are blades. There are 16 of them. Rhopalia are located between the blades. They contain organs of balance (statocysts), nerve centers and eyes. The tentacles are long, they are collected in bunches and are located behind the concave side of the dome. And in its central lower part there is a mouth opening. It is surrounded by oral lobes. Outwardly, they resemble a hanging curtain.

The tentacles at the edges of the dome are extremely long and resemble hair. They can reach 20-30 meters. Thanks to them sea ​​creature has another name - hairy cyanea. In the largest specimens, the dome reaches 2 meters in diameter, but usually does not exceed 50-60 cm. The largest recorded specimen had a tentacle length of 36.5 meters, and the diameter of its dome was 2.3 meters. So we can say with confidence that the Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the world.

The representative of the order of discomedusae we are considering is active predator. Its diet consists of plankton, crustaceans and small fish. If there is little food, then this inhabitant of cold waters begins to attack other jellyfish and eat them.

Getting food is as follows: sea ​​giant hovers in the upper layer of water with tentacles directed in different directions. From the outside, the jellyfish resembles a large lump of algae floating harmlessly in the ocean. As soon as a passing victim touches the tentacle, it immediately wraps itself around its body and infects it with paralyzing poison. After the prey stops fluttering, it is eaten. Paralyzing poison is produced in the tentacles along their entire length.

But the ocean is the ocean, and therefore any predator can become prey for another, more large predator. Therefore, other jellyfish eat the hairy cyanide, sea ​​turtles, birds and large fish. It should be said that even the largest specimens do not pose a danger to humans. The worst thing that can happen when you come into contact with a huge jellyfish is that a rash appears at the site of contact. But it immediately disappears after using antiallergic drugs. The rash usually appears in people with sensitive skin, the rest don’t notice anything at all.

The reproductive process of Arctic cyanides consists of 2 stages. At the first stage, males release sperm into the water. They end up in the females’ mouth lobes, where the brood chambers are located. There, fertilization of eggs and their development occurs.

At the second stage, the formed embryos (planula larvae) leave the brood chambers, attach to some substrate and transform into one polyp. It has been actively growing and reproducing for several months. asexually, giving birth to a scyphist. From them the larvae of future jellyfish - ethers - are formed. Externally, they look like transparent stars with 8 rays. These stars float in the water and gradually become jellyfish.

This is the complex process of reproduction that nature came up with. And as a result, the Arctic cyanea is born - the largest jellyfish in the world. It moves in the upper layer of water along with cold sea currents and is an integral part northern waters World ocean.

The marine environment is fundamentally different from ours. This world is fraught with many creatures that go beyond the ideas of ordinary things. Take, for example, a jellyfish... This oldest species has existed on the planet for more than 600 million years, and some specimens have learned to grow to incredible sizes.

Hairy cyanea

The largest jellyfish in the world is the hairy cyanide. Found throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, but the largest specimens are found in the Arctic. The reason for this is the lack of food in cold water, which leads to late puberty and, accordingly, gigantism of the individual.

Many people have seen this photo on the Internet. It certainly depicts a cyanea, but the ratio of a person and a jellyfish is corrected here with Photoshop. The most huge jellyfish in the world was washed up on the shores of Massachusetts Bay in 1870. Its length was 36.5 meters, and the diameter of the bell was 2.3 meters.

In this regard, cyanea rightfully bears the title “the most long jellyfish in the world" and is considered the longest animal on the planet, since its main competitor is blue whale reaches only 33 meters.

What else is it called

Its other names are arctic cyanea or lion's mane. This is a disc jellyfish (octagonal in shape), opaque. Translated from Latin, its name means “blue hairy jellyfish,” although in adulthood it is more colorful - brown, red and yellowish tones predominate in it. But young cyanea is usually orange.

Common specimens have a diameter of about 2 meters and a length of tentacles of about 20. The body of the jellyfish is an inverted bell with blades. Tentacles emerge from its inner part, of which the cyanea has a lot - at each corner of the dome, up to 150 pieces are arranged in a row, which do not retract inward, but are always ready to bite into the victim. In the center there is a mouth, which is also an excretory opening. And jellyfish move in a reactive manner.

Habitats

Cyanea lives in surface waters at depths up to 20 meters. This is a predator that uses its tentacles as catcher net, where at the ends stinging cells The victim is in for quite a strong poison. For small fish it is fatal and leaves greater damage on larger animals.

In humans, the largest jellyfish in the world's oceans can cause allergies and burns, but not death. The story “The Lion's Mane” by Conan Doyle, where two people die when they touch it, is a work of fiction.

And besides, it’s rare that a diver will swim in the Arctic without a wetsuit to protect him from the cold. It is interesting that when it gets to more southern latitudes, cyanea will never grow more than half a meter. When encountering it in warm waters without protective equipment, it is enough for a person to wipe the area of ​​contact with vinegar.

The life cycle of this jellyfish is quite unique. It consists of polypoid (attached to the bottom) and medusoid types.

Reproduction of jellyfish

Males spit out mature sperm through their mouths into the sea, where they enter the females’ mouth lobes. After a few days, the larva degenerates into a polyp, which first attaches itself to stones or plants. It will grow, eat, and may even reproduce by budding (asexually). And in the spring, the transformation is completed by the jellyfish larva, which sets off into free swimming as a small octagonal star.

Jellyfish hunt in groups - this makes it easier for them to surround plankton or a school of fish. Cannibalism is common among this type of jellyfish - on occasion, a large jellyfish can swallow a smaller relative. Natural enemies cyanides - turtles, birds and large fish they will never miss such a tasty piece of prey.

You can learn even more about jellyfish from the video below the article. Be sure to look at this majestic beauty...

Creatures Sea inhabitants differ in shape, size, color and behavior. In populations sea ​​creatures, of impressive size, one of the leading places is occupied by the largest jellyfish in the world; the photo of this beauty is probably familiar to many.

Atlantic cyanea lives in temperate and cool waters of the Atlantic, Pacific Ocean and Arctic seas. Sometimes it can be seen off the coast of Australia. IN warm water jellyfish don't grow up to large sizes or does not survive at all. But in the cold northern sea ​​depths it reaches impressive sizes:

• main body – 2.5 meters;
• peculiar tentacles - 35 meters.

Appearance

Jellyfish is very beautiful. The outer part of the dome has a darkish tint, consisting of brown and dark red stains. The older the individual, the richer its body. Young cyanides have a bright orange color interspersed with brown shades.

The body of the jellyfish is divided into 8 parts, resembling petals in shape. Pink and purple tentacles are located in groups of 50 to 120 pieces along the border line of the petals. Each tentacle is equipped with a set of stinging cells, which gives it the ability to quickly kill its prey.

All the time the jellyfish hovers in the water, contracting the muscles of the dome and making occasional flapping movements with its wings located at the edges.

According to the researchers, the jellyfish is presented in several species, but no one was able to clarify their number; disputes continue to this day. On this moment Blue and Japanese cyanides have been studied, but they are much smaller in size than the Atlantic.

Reproduction

The cyanea jellyfish comes in female and male genders. Males in mating season They fertilize females through water. Sperm released from the oral passages swim into openings on the female’s body, intended for bearing offspring. The finished larvae spend several days swimming freely, after which they attach to the substrate. From this moment their growth begins. With the arrival of spring, they detach and swim away to feed on their own. The babies look like stars with a transparent body and the absence of marginal tentacles. In summer, cyanea fry form into fully developed jellyfish.

Nutrition

Cyanea belongs to the species of predators. The jellyfish keeps its numerous tentacles spread out, forming a trapping net. The creatures hunt plankton and fish fry. The largest jellyfish in the world has a genetic predisposition to cannibalism - it can eat small relatives; a photo of developed tentacles indicates the ability to instantly kill small prey and cause serious damage to large animals.

The largest jellyfish in the world, a photo of which will help you recognize it when you meet it, is not particularly dangerous for humans. The maximum harm that cyanea can cause is a burn, which quickly passes, and an allergic reaction to toxic substances injected during the bite. Deaths after an encounter with a jellyfish was not recorded.