Crown jellyfish

For the crown jellyfish of the order Rhizostomae, see Cephea and Netrostoma.

Crown jellyfishes
Periphyllopsis braueri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Coronatae
Vanhöffen, 1892

Crown jellyfishes are the six families of true jellyfish that belong to the order Coronatae.[1][2] They are distinguished from other jellyfish by the presence of a deep groove running around the umbrella, giving them the crown shape from which they take their name. Many of the species in the order inhabit deep sea environments.[3]

Crown jellyfish are able to make light through bioluminescence. When they are touched, their bells will light up. Otherwise, the bell of a crown jellyfish will look transparent when undisturbed. When they are attacked, crown jellyfish are able to startle, mislead, and distract their predators with the light that they produce. They may also use their bioluminescence to lure or dazzle their prey.[4]

  1. ^ Daly, Brugler, Cartwright, Collins, Dawson, Fautin, France, McFadden, Opresko, Rodriguez, Romano & Stake (2007). The phylum Cnidaria: A review of phylogenetic patterns and diversity 300 years after Linnaeus. Zootaxa 1668: 127–182
  2. ^ "Coronatae". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. ^ Barnes, Robert D. (1982). Invertebrate Zoology. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International. p. 149. ISBN 0-03-056747-5.
  4. ^ Judson, Olivia (2015). "Luminous Life". National Geographic. Vol. 227, no. 3. pp. 72–85. ISSN 0027-9358. OCLC 5827282057. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.