2022The World's Jellyfish - Miniature Sheet

Jellyfish, with their mesmerizing and graceful movements, are some of the most enigmatic creatures found in the world's oceans. They belong to the diverse phylum Cnidaria, a group of marine animals that includes corals and sea anemones. Despite their seemingly simple structure, jellyfish possess unique adaptations that allow them to thrive in the vast and dynamic marine environment.

Jellyfish have a complex life cycle, undergoing both sexual and asexual stages. The adult medusa form, commonly seen drifting through the water, is the reproductive stage. However, jellyfish start their lives as tiny larvae that eventually settle on the ocean floor and develop into polyps, sessile creatures attached to a substrate. Through asexual budding, polyps can produce genetically identical clones of themselves, which eventually grow and transform into the free-swimming medusa stage.