''Cassiopea frondosa'' is a species of jellyfish, also known as the upside-down jellyfish belonging to the family

Cassiopeidae ''Cassiopea'' (upside-down jellyfish) is a genus of true jellyfish and members of the family Cassiopeidae. They are found in warmer coastal regions around the world, including shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, canals, and turtle grass flats in ...

Description

''Cassiopea frondosa'' was one of the first species described of ''Cassiopeia'' found in 1774 by Pallas around the Caribbean. ''C. frondosa'' has a bell measuring around less than 15 cm in diameter, and also has 12 sensory organs called rhopalia. This jellyfish has a unique position unlike others, with its bell down and its short oral arms facing up. It is the only species in its group that can be clearly distinguished from others because of its size and unique features. ''C. frondosa'' come in a variety of colors; brown, blue, green, or mixes of different colors. Their color is contributed from their environment and from their symbiotic relationship with

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae (; zooxanthella) is a colloquial term for single-celled photosynthetic organisms that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including corals, jellyfish, demosponges, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthell ...

. ''C. frondosa'' have stinging cells called nematocysts found all along their tentacles but another way they can release toxins is through their mucus into the water to capture prey or for protection. They are found in tropical/subtropical marine waters, mangroves, lagoons, and the Caribbean. Usually they are benthic using the current of the water as its motion and for gas exchange.

Habitat

Upside-down jellyfishes live in warm subtropical marine waters such as the Bahamas, parts of Florida, and the Caribbean. They are considered to be around the mangroves or seagrass ecosystems.

Diet

''Cassiopea frondosa'' has a

symbiotic relationship Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

with dinoflagellate algae. One of the zooxanthellae that lives within ''C. frondosa'' is '' Symbiodinium microadriaticum''. These algae live within the jellyfish and helps provide nutrients through

photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabo ...

. The jellyfish in turn will protect it and offer it sunlight. Due to it having the characteristic of being upside-down they can receive more exposure to sunlight, keeping the algae maintained. They can also be carnivorous feeding on small benthic crustaceans, zooplankton, and detritus. They do this by using their bell to pulsating the water up and filtering out the prey.

Life cycle and reproduction

''Cassiopea frondosa'' are

gonochoric In biology, gonochorism is a sexual system where there are two sexes and each individual organism is either male or female. The term gonochorism is usually applied in animal species, the vast majority of which are gonochoric. Gonochorism contrast ...

meaning they are either male or female. They are seen to have a high regeneration population. The cycle starts with the adult medusa laying an egg, then with some time it becomes a free floating planula, then the planula with start to settle to the bottom and later on become free floating medusas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2177504 Wikipedia Student Program frondosa