Communication of Jellyfish in the Natural World

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Along with using their stinging cells to catch prey, jellyfish also use them as a defense mechanism against competitors and predators. Some of the predators that a jellyfish has are certain types of salmon, tuna, sharks, and sea turtles as well as other species of jellyfishes. Even with these more dominating animals, jellyfish still manage to be fierce competitors and defend themselves extremely well (O’Connor, 2011). When a predator comes near the jellyfish, the stinging cells come in to great use and help the jellyfish to stay alive. Not only can a jellyfish sting its predators, if the fish is of the right size it can become its prey (Hiler, 1998). A unique characteristic about jellyfish is that because they cannot control when they sting, they have the ability to use their nematocysts when they are dead. The tentacles of the jellyfish react when something touches them; so even when a jellyfish is dead, the stinging cells can still be active if it brushes up against something (Oceana). Because of their very effective and advantageous stinging cells, Jellyfish have very few predators, which allow it to survive and reproduce: every species ultimate goal in life. Without these stinging cells they would be vulnerable to almost anything and would not survive in the same way they do today. Very few animals in the sea have immunity to jellyfish venom. One common animal that eats almost exclusively on jellyfish are sea turtles. Because of their extremely thick skin, sea turtles are able to eat jellyfish without the venom affecting them. Surprisingly, one of a jellyfish’s biggest competitors and predators are other jellyfish. Although the same species would not eat one another, jellyfish of different species certainly do. Predation and competition play a large role in how the jellyfish lives in its environment. Through their specialized tentacles and stinging cells, they are able to communicate with any animal who comes across that they have the ability to put up a fight and most of the time, be victorious (Jellyfish Predators).

Even with all the research that has been done on jellyfish, their way of life is still a mystery, which involves more detailed research and experiments (Brodeur, and Hunt, and Sugisaki, 2002). Although simple, jellyfish are strong and worthy competitors who have adapted to dominate the oceans when need be. They have the ability to hunt for prey with ease, compete with animals that are much larger and more complex than them, and rarely have species that use them as prey. Jellyfish are a beautiful and fascinating species with a unique way of life that deserves to be more intricately researched to discover more about. These creatures use communication in a unique aspect compared to other marine life and without these characteristics, the species would fail and diminish rapidly.

Word Count: 1511 words

Bibliography

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