VaiJu
Deep Look
Deep Look

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๐ŸŒ™๐ŸŽ MOON JELLIES POLL๐ŸŒ™๐ŸŽ

Hi Deep Peeps! Moon jellies go through several distinct - and strange - phases before reaching their final form. Which stage are you? Tell us about your answer in the comments.

And, if you havenโ€™t seen our video, here it is. Enjoy!  Also, let us know if youโ€™ve ever been stung by a jellyfish or seen a jellyfish bloom.

Moon jellyfish start off smaller than a pea but can grow to the size of dinner plates. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)Moon jellyfish spend the first part of their lives as a polyp stuck to a hard surface such as a rock. The polyps spend their days catching tiny prey with their stinging tentacles. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

When the conditions are right, moon jellyfish polyps develop ridges on their sides which grow into a stack of ephyrae. The ephyrae look like a stack of pancakes. Each individual pancake, called an ephyra, has the potential to one day break free and grow into an adult jellyfish.  (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

A young and newly free-swimming moon jellyfish, called an ephyra. Josh Cassidy/KQED)


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