25 stunning photos of jellyfish in honor of World Jellyfish Day
- November 3 marks World Jellyfish Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about these vibrant invertebrates.
- Despite their soft appearance, some of these creatures can have a powerful and painful sting.
- Here are 25 stunning images of these colorful animals in honor of National Jellyfish Day.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Jiggly, colorful, and vaguely transparent, jellyfish are a fan favorite at any aquarium — not to mention they make a fantastic screensaver.
The invertebrate is so popular, there's an entire day dedicated to raising awareness about jellyfish on November 3, fittingly called World Jellyfish Day.
In honor of the holiday, here are 25 stunning images and facts about these incredible creatures.
Despite their name, jellyfish aren't fish as all. They're actually invertebrates.
Source: National Geographic
In their young stage of development, jellyfish are called polyps and will sometimes form colonies.
Source: ThoughtCo.com
While the Portuguese man o' war has similar aesthetic qualities to jellyfish and is also an invertebrate, it isn't a true jellyfish.
Source: Mental Floss
The bodies of jellyfish are 95% water.
Source: Smithsonian
The life span of most jellyfish ranges from a few hours to a few months.
Source: Smithsonian
Some evidence suggests that jellyfish were around prior to the dinosaurs.
Source: Smithsonian
Because jellyfish are invertebrates, they don't have any bones. They're also lacking a brain and a heart.
Source: Smithsonian
The little creatures have caused nuclear power plants to briefly shut down in Sweden, Scotland, the US, and other places by clogging their cooling systems. Though the incidents usually take less than a day to clear up, they can hold up the production of energy at the power plants.
Source: Mental Floss, National Geographic
The nervous system of a jellyfish is the most simplistic in the animal kingdom, in part because of its lack of a brain.
Source: Mental Floss
Jellyfish can asexually reproduce — meaning they don't necessarily need a mate to have babies.
Source: Mental Floss
A group of jellyfish can be called a "smack," though "swarm" is the more common term.
Source: Mental Floss
Over 60,000 jellyfish have lived in space, thanks to an experiment in which polyps were launched into outer space to test how they reacted to the lack of gravity.
Source: Business Insider
Because it can return to its polyp phase at will, the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish is thought to be theoretically immortal.
Source: Business Insider
Jellyfish can range from sizes bigger than 2 meters in diameter …
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
... to less than 2 centimeters in diameter.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
A jellyfish diet can consist of fish, shrimp, and small plants.
Source: Business Insider
Some jellyfish can glow in the dark.
Source: Business Insider
Jellyfish live all over the world and are found in every ocean.
Source: Business Insider
Over 2,000 species of jellyfish have been discovered.
Source: World Atlas
All jellyfish sting, but some pack more of a punch then others. Some species like the Irukandji jellyfish are known for their painful, barbed stings.
Sources: Conservation Institute
Meanwhile, the sting of a box jellyfish can kill an adult human.
Source: Business Insider
Jellyfish can even sting you after they're dead.
Source: Mental Floss
It's a common misconception that peeing on a jellyfish sting can relieve the pain. In reality, it won't do anything to the wound.
Source: Business Insider
A jellyfish's glow can help protect it from predators.
Source: Business Insider
Overall, these squishy animals are unique, ancient, and beautiful. There's plenty to admire about jellyfish — just make sure to watch your step if you see one.
Source: Business Insider
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