''Cassiopea ornata'' are one of many

Cnidaria Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantly the latter), including jellyfish, hydroid (zoology), hydroids, ...

n species called the upside-down

jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

. This

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...

jellyfish primarily lives in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

waters, off the coast of Australia in shallow

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

s and around

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

trees. The name "upside-down jellyfish" comes from the fact that it appears to be upside-down in its natural state—resting on its bell. Its bell is a golden/brown color and the tentacles vary with different shades of yellow. While the sighting of this particular species is rare, it is usually mistaken for vegetation like the other species in genus ''

Cassiopea ''Cassiopea'' (upside-down jellyfish) is a genus of Scyphozoa, 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 gras ...

''.

Reproduction

''Cassiopea ornata'' are a part of the class,

Scyphozoa The Scyphozoa are an exclusively marine class of the phylum Cnidaria, referred to as the true jellyfish (or "true jellies"). The class name Scyphozoa comes from the Greek word '' skyphos'' (), denoting a kind of drinking cup and alluding to the ...

, "the true jelly-fish." Members of this class 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 ...

. As a cnidarian, the cassiopea ornata jellyfish can reproduce both sexually and asexually. When in a medusa form, it will reproduce sexually. The male will produce sperm and release them into the water, while the female produces eggs and keeps them in order to obtain the males sperm and fertilize the eggs. When the jellyfish is in a polyp form, it will reproduce asexually by means of budding.

Feeding

''Cassiopea ornata'' are photosynthetic due to a

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

relationship with the

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 ...

that live below their tentacles. These algae feed on the sun and produce nutrients. The remaining nutrients become food for the jellyfish. These jellyfish are able to thrive because the mutualistic relationship with the algae and rarely have to hunt.

Geography

''Cassiopea ornata'' are pelagic and reside in tropical, shallow waters. The jellyfish have been observed in various locations, including off the coast of Australia, Guam, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Reproduction

Feeding

Geography

References

Further reading