Their diets vary based on where in the ocean they live, but it is most often a diet of zooplankton, larvae, and sometimes small fish or other organisms. Using sticky cells (colloblasts) that are lined on their tentacles, they can capture prey and then move the victim to the main body for digestion. There are three groups of comb jellies, each of which is known for a distinct appearance:Ĭomb jellies are carnivorous and opportunistic, feeding on whatever passes them by. Since they are mostly made of water, they don’t weigh very much at all. Each species varies in length, but the average size of a comb jelly is about four inches long. The mesoderm is mostly water and acts as a soft skeleton as it contains muscle cells, proteins, and nerve cells. In the gastrodermis is the animal’s gut where both food and reproductive cells enter the body. ![]() Not only is this a beautiful display, but it also serves as a biological defense mechanism.Ĭomb jellies have nervous system cells in their epidermal layer that allows them to sense environmental stimuli like light or chemicals. Many species are bioluminescent, meaning they can use proteins in their bodies to create an ethereal blue or green glow in response to stimuli like touch. These animals have two major cell layers, the external epidermis and internal gastrodermis in between these cell layers is the mesoderm that is what gives the animals their gelatinous appearance. These organs serve as sticky fishing lines, which they use to trap and move prey to their bodies. ![]() They have two large, trailing tentacles that branch out to create the appearance of a net-like structure of many tentacles. Their combs are giant fused cilia cells that allow the animals to swim, and they also scatter light like a prism and present a rainbow of colors. They are related to jellyfish, but not as closely as they might seem.Ĭomb jellies are colorful, simple invertebrates that are part of the family Ctenophora. There are between 100 and 150 known species of comb jellies, the best known of which are found close to shore. ![]() Comb jellies are transparent, gelatinous invertebrates that drift through the waters of our global ocean.
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