Creatures From Another Planet
A long time ago, even before dinosaurs roamed the Earth and the first shark, these alien beings have inhabited the seas and oceans. They - some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet, living on the Earth still 500-700 million years ago.

 This jellyfish - one of the most exciting, beautiful and mysterious sea creatures.


Jellyfish seem supernatural creatures, alien beings in many ways due to their odd shapes and colors. Nature created them according to their own, some incredible drawings: their body resembles an umbrella, or a bell, sometimes the ball.

Jellyfish got its name because of the similarity with the wiggling of the legendary snake-haired Medusa of Greek mythology.

  There are about 2,000 different species of jellyfish. Some live in fresh water, while others are found in the seas and oceans.

 As already mentioned, the jellyfish have lived on Earth 500-700 million years ago. This is a very long time. For example, the first dinosaurs appeared about 225 million years ago, and the most ancient representatives of sharks existed about 420-450 million years ago ...

 The structure is also extremely jellyfish: they consist of about 95% water, 3-4% - of salt and 1-2% - of the protein. They have no heart, no eyes, no circulatory system, no gills ...

Cassiopeia jellyfish, living mainly in the Mediterranean.

 Most of the jellyfish is composed of three parts: 1) gelatinous body, and 2) tentacles that sting and catch prey, and 3) the mouth, which absorbs food.

 However, jellyfish retain their shape only in water. Remove the jellyfish out of the water - and see for yourself how it is that hour tends to turn into a flat trembling drop.

 Ancient alien creatures feed on plankton, fish eggs, small crustaceans. Famous tentacles of jellyfish that have thread-like structure, luring prey, forcing it into his mouth.





Despite the vague sense organs, jellyfish can smell and feel the smells, distinguish light from darkness.

  The newly discovered jellyfish Tiburonia granrojo. Dome diameter - up to 1 meter.

 With special compartments on the sides of its "bell", jellyfish keeps the balance in the water. Jellyfish swim underwater currents help. Jellyfish swims against the tide alone, moving reactive way, pushing water out of the cavity of a "bell".

 Medusa breathes all over, as it has no lungs and gills, as well as any other organ of respiration. The walls of its gelatinous body is very thin, so the oxygen molecule to freely penetrate the jelly-like "skin" directly into the internal organs. It turns out that jellyfish breathe the entire surface of the body.

 Poisonous jellyfish Pelagia Noctiluca.




 Jellyfish have a variety of sizes. The diameter of their "dome" can be from 3 millimeters, the size of a thimble to 2.5 meters. The most common are the jellyfish the size of a saucer.

 The largest jellyfish - the so-called "lion's mane", which lives in the Arctic Sea. Her body reaches 2.5 meters, and the tentacles - 37 meters in length. This is almost half a football field!

The lion's mane:

 Jellyfish live at different depths. some swim at the surface, while others are immersed to a depth of 10,000 meters!

 Some jellyfish "sting". Along the edges of the "bell" jellyfish with stinging tentacles arranged (nettle) cells, which can cause burns and paralyze prey. Stinging jellyfish quietly lying in wait for the unwary animals who are victims of their venom. Even if the break up is the creation of a jelly-like water into a thousand pieces, it will not save you - jellyfish just turn into a thousand tiny monsters that can sting.

 "Stinging" jellyfish can cause harm to people, but are vital to smaller marine animals - small fish and crabs that seamlessly cling to them from below and thus quietly travel to their "host" as the liner.

Long-eared and long-eared Aurelia jellyfish from the squad diskomeduz.

 The most dangerous to humans is jellyfish sea wasp (Chironex fleckeri), inhabiting near the northern coast of Australia and in the waters of Southeast Asia. Every year, its venom to kill 65 people. Death occurs within three minutes. This is one of the most poisonous and deadly creatures on earth.

Sea Wasp:

 Jellyfish - one of the most mysterious and incredibly beautiful inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Meeting with them can be fatal, but despite the "bad" reputation, most jellyfish are harmless.




 Medusa purpuropolosaya Chrysaora Colorata.

 In fact, the jellyfish - just some of the most beautiful sea creatures. And the most unusual-like creatures from another planet.

 A small 2.5-cm jellyfish.

 A few more photos of the beautiful jellyfish.