Where do jellies come from?
Jellies can be found in just about every marine habitat and every ocean. Jellies live in estuaries, bays, harbors, and the open ocean. Some are even in the deepest ocean basins. They’re found from the warm waters near the Equator to the frigid waters of the arctic and antarctic. Some single species of jellies, like the moon jellyfish, can be found all over the world. How do jellies swim? Jellyfish mostly drift with the currents, but they can swim to move short distances or redirect themselves. By contracting muscles in their bell, water is forced out and the jelly is propelled in the opposite direction. The muscles then relax and the bell gently springs back into its “open” position. This pulsing motion closely resembles an umbrella being closed and opened. At the cellular level, jellyfish muscles look almost identical to human muscles, but their “muscles” are only one-cell thick! What’s the largest jellyfish? The lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capilata) is the largest jellyfish species
