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View Full Version : Vicious Beauties: The Secret World of the Jellyfish



The One
19th January 2014, 18:48
At the mere mention of the name 'jellyfish' most of us imagine shapeless, rubbery and even disgusting creatures. In any case there's something we do not wish to touch. It isn't until we see them under water that they transform into graceful beings. In the course of evolution jellyfish have developed unbelievably clever skills and have conquered every habitat in our oceans.

To protect themselves they've developed weapons that can also become dangerous to humans. Most jellyfish are not a threaten species. Among the large family of jellyfish, the 'Box jellyfish' is the most dangerous, closely followed by the Siphonophorae - the Portuguese man o' war. For most of us the word 'jellyfish' evokes negative feelings. The term 'medusa' is more appropriate and it gives a feeling of mysterious and dangerous beauty.

In this documentary Dr. Gerhard Jarms will be introducing us to the unusual life-cycle of these animals. In reality jellyfish are smooth, soft and what is even more interesting their history goes back 500 million years. During this time they have developed the most fascinating shapes and most interesting lifestyles. They live both in the deep sea and on the coastline.

If we ignore for a moment the massive influxes of medusae on the coasts of the North Sea and Baltic Sea from time to time, the oceans are not necessarily packed with medusae, even some images make it look that way. Where do medusae come from? How and where do they reproduce? The life-cycle of jellyfish or medusae is characterized by a shift from one generation to the next and by a change between the sessile and the free swimming states.
The gelatinous animals consist of 98% water. The life-cycle of a medusa can be from one to thirty years depending on the species. During this time they can grow up to 200 times their initial size.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QSovus8YNsE

BabaRa
21st January 2014, 01:14
I was stung by a jellyfish once - burns like h*ll

Was body surfing at La Jolla (near San Diego). Hope I never run into one again, although they are beautiful.

Wolf Khan
21st January 2014, 02:19
This movie to me was a luke warm attemp at something...most likely as the topic is known to us we weren't as concerned with its data, maybe, perhaps i'll wake up a few sleeping Souls along the way. Fingers crossed.

Tonz
21st January 2014, 03:08
I was stung by a jellyfish once - burns like h*ll

I think in Australia it would be best to watch the billy version of his experiences with jelly fish and other creatures on a visit .

It is a bit bit rude at times as he tends to swear a bit but nothing too strong.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gucd0IbRn5c