Jellyfish

I recently read a Discover magazine article about jellyfish that cited a scientist claiming a third of the ocean's biomass is jellyfish. It also indicated that jellyfish populations are on the rise as they are filling ecological niches vacated by other species that are not adapting well to global warming. And there were some pictures of large jellyfish, including a 300 pound variety.

Of course, despite the name, jellyfish are not fish. They are invertebrates (Class Scyphozoa within the Phylum Cnidaria.). I cannot help but to envision them as floating stomachs with the sense of touch and limited movement to draw in its prey. The biology of the jellyfish feels to other-worldly as to immediately inspire thoughts of Cambrian time periods (and the trilobites). I wish I knew more about the end of that ecology to be able to draw parallels, but I am sure that very bright people do that today. For instance, examining how the increase in size of jellyfish might relate to the massive trilobites arose and later went extinct.

As beautiful as they may look, I am glad they remain underwater and have not found a way to fly across the sky hunting in the free air. A 1964 Japanese movie called Dagora actually is a movie about that fear. I might have to watch that someday so that I can overcome my fear of flying jellyfish evolving.