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Join us as we travel the oceans far and wide with these electric jellyfish facts!

Fast jellyfish facts

Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Classification: Invertebrate
IUCN status: Not evaluated
Lifespan (in wild): One year
Weight: Up to 2kg
Body size: 2cm to 2m
Top speed: 8km/h
Diet: Fish, shrimp, crabs, tiny plants and even other species of jellyfish
Habitat: Oceans
Range:

Jellyfish have been around for millions of years, even before dinosaurs lived on the Earth. Pulsing along on our ocean currents, these jelly-like creatures can be found in waters both cold and warm, deep and shallow and along coastlines, too. Some jellyfish are clear, but others are vibrant colours of pink, yellow, blue and purple. They can be bioluminescent, too, which means they produce their own light!

Jellyfish have no brain, heart, bones or eyes. They are made up of a smooth, bag-like body and tentacles armed with tiny, stinging cells. These incredible invertebrates use their stinging tentacles to stun or paralyse prey before gobbling it up.

The jellyfish's mouth is found in the centre of its body. From this small opening it both eats and discards waste. And it serves another purpose, too - by squirting a jet of water from its mouth, the jellyfish can propel forward! Cool, eh?

Jellyfish digest their food, which consists of fish, shrimp, crabs and tiny plants, very quickly. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to float, being weighed down by the large, undigested grub in their body.

The jellyfish itself provides a tasty meal for other ocean creatures, particularly sea turtles, who like to guzzle them up regularly. In some cultures around the world, people eat jellyfish, too. In China, they are considered a delicacy, and are also used in Chinese medicine.

Jellyfish stings can be painful to humans and, from certain species, they can even be deadly. Although these magnificent marine creatures don't purposely attack humans, most stings occur when people accidentally touch a jellyfish.

Picture credits
Bioflourescent jellyfish: Getty Images UK. Close-up of purple jellyfish: Bruce H. Obison. Jellyfish with long tentacles: Natursports, Dreamstime. Yellow jellyfish: Tim Hester, Dreamstime. Map showing jellyfish distribution: National Geographic Maps.

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Jellyfish Facts! | National Geographic Kids

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Join us as we travel the oceans far and wide with these electric jellyfish facts! Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Scyphozoa Classification: Invertebrate IUCN status: Not evaluated Lifespan (in wild): One year Weight: Up to 2kg Body size: 2cm to 2m Top speed: 8km/h Diet: Fish, shrimp, crabs, tiny plants and even other species of jellyfish Habitat: Oceans Range: Jellyfish have been around for millions of years, even before dinosaurs lived on the Earth.

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Jellyfish are an interesting sea creature that children love to learn about. Some jellyfish have millions of very small stinging cells in their tentacles called nematocysts. These cells are used to capture food by injecting toxin into the prey. When we are stung it hurts because the toxin goes through our skin - ouch!

Interesting, right?

With this free printable, your child will be able to understand the life cycle of this extraordinary fish. Perfect for any science class or study space, this printable is easy for children to understand, features colorful images, and is clearly labelled. So, what are you waiting for? Download and print, right now!

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Jellyfish Life Cycle - KidsPressMagazine.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jellyfish are an interesting sea creature that children love to learn about. Some jellyfish have millions of very small stinging cells in their tentacles called nematocysts. These cells are used to capture food by injecting toxin into the prey. When we are stung it hurts because the toxin goes through our skin - ouch!

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John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Jellyfish are recognized for their stinging tentacles, anemones for their floral presentation. They're not known for their dietary habits. Both carnivorous members of the phylum Cnidaria, jellies' and anemones' bodily systems allow them to consume and digest food in similar ways, with a few differences.

Jellyfish Digestion

According to the National Ocean Service, jellyfish have rather simplified digestive systems -- often referred to by biologists as incomplete. Many animals rely on organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines to aid in digestion, the jellyfish has none of these. A single cavity, the coelenteron, serves as a jellyfish's stomach and intestine. Food that makes it into the jellyfish's stomach is broken down by digestive enzymes produced by cells lining the inner body cavity. These cells help absorb and direct nutrients around the jellyfish body. Jellies have only one orifice into the digestive cavity, which acts as a mouth, for the intake of sustenance, and as an anus, for the expulsion of waste.

Author

Based in Los Angeles, Monica Stevens has been a professional writer since 2005. She covers topics such as health, education, arts and culture, for a variety of local magazines and newspapers. Stevens holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, with a concentration in film studies, from Pepperdine University.

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How Do Jellyfish & Sea Anemones Digest Their Food?

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Jellyfish are recognized for their stinging tentacles, anemones for their floral presentation. They're not known for their dietary habits. Both carnivorous members of the phylum Cnidaria, jellies' and anemones' bodily systems allow them to consume and digest food in similar ways, with a few differences.

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All About Jellyfish for Kids: Jellyfish for Children - FreeSchool

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How does a jellyfish sting? - Neosha S Kashef