Jellyfish of Days Gone By Use to Have Skeleton - http://clapway.com/2015/07/11/jellyfish-of-days-gone-by-use-to-have-skeleton678/

In retrospect of the Jellyfish

The jellyfish is arguably one of the more fascinating sea creatures to watch in the deep blue. What with its long flimsy tentacles propelling it to and fro and its bubble head, the frail-looking creature shows how even appearances can be deceiving, hiding its powerful stings in the weak-looking tentacles.

As we all know the jellyfish have to vertebrae, which is odd to think about, however lots of animals are invertebrates; some cuter-looking than others.

New jellyfish fossil points to skeletal origins

However, the latest news in the archeology world is that scientists in China have found a fossil that suggest jellyfishes once had a skeletal structure, making them vertebrate at that point in time. The find was shared in the Science Advances journal just yesterday.

The find is as interesting as it is enlightening, as the fossil was dated back to the Cambrian period a significant time period for life as we know it. Furthermore, what is else is interesting that some fossils that have been recovered from this historic era is that the fossils of older animal species had skeletal structures whereas the distant relatives and descendants today have none.

The Jellyfish had no arms

Say what? Why did it have no arms? Well that’s because researchers identified this fossil, one of six, as belonging to the early comb jellies species, otherwise known as ctenophores, which have pretty similar tentacles to other jellies, but without the sting (cue sigh of relief for).

Also what’s different about this early jellyfish is that it wasn’t soft-bodied like today

No – instead, these ancient animals had hard plates and small spikes that made them little armored vertebrates and helped them to survive early life on Earth.

Finding fossils is a hard enough job, but finding this kind of fossil is pretty much a needle in the haystack, with you mistaking the needle for hay. What the heck does that mean? It means the fossil is really rare and it was a very lucky find.

As it starts to become more studied and perhaps the search for more fossils start going underway, more will be revealed about the jellyfish that was a vertebrate.

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Jellyfish of Days Gone By Use to Have Skeleton

Poisonous Jellyfish-Like Man of War Reach U.S. Soil - http://clapway.com/2015/07/05/poisonous-man-of-war-jellyfish-reach-u-s-soil969/

Cue the Jaws theme music…

Recently, several venomous Portuguese Man of Wars were spotted off the shore of New Jersey. The species is usually found in warmer waters around the equator region, about as far north as Florida waters. Although it looks like a blue jellyfish, it is not.

Instead, it is made of several organisms called a siphonophore that work together as a group to survive, and happen to have tentacles just like a jelly fish. Only this species also happens to be very toxic and painful to get stung by. Unlike jellyfish, the Man of War has no way of thrust to move, so it relies heavily on currents or winds to take them wherever. This is how local officials believe that they came to be on Jersey shore, drifting on the wind northward.

The toxicity and threat of the Man of War

These carnivorous creatures’ tentacles are where the toxic venom lie. Although the venom for humans is very seldom a fatal wound, it will still deliver a bite more painful than Hell itself. Dead Man of Wars can even sting, with dead or detached tentacles providing an equally painful bite, adding insult to injury. The venom is there to help immobilize prey and kill it so that the organisms can feast upon the meal after all is said and done. Then, the tentacles bring the meal to the little bubble-like head of the organism that makes up the Man of War.

Using caution around Man of Wars

Of course, after the sightings of the invertebrates, New Jersey officials of the Poison Information and Education System put out a press release on the 1st of July warning people at the beach to stay away from them. The reason being given was that in water, the tentacles may warp around your body, thereby allowing for several painful sting wounds and making it difficult for you to swim back to shore.

Although the invasion seems like it’s an unlikely occurrence, it actually is not, and it is not the first time the Man of Wars have been found drifting on shores and warm waters not native to their regions. But also they usually travel in groups, so this increases the risk factor for all people in the water. If you’re worried about encountering one, look at the press release with all the info on what to do when you encounter the Man of War.

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Poisonous Jellyfish-Like Man of War Reach U.S. Soil