Cyanea is representative. Cyanea jellyfish - a giant arctic individual with a lion's mane

Type of: Cnidaria (Coelenterata) Hatschek, 1888 = Coelenterates, Cnidaria
Subtype: Medusozoa = Medusoproducing
Class: Scyphozoa Götte, 1887 = Scyphozoa
Squad: Semaeostomeae = Discomedusa
Genus: Cyanea = Arctic cyanide
Species: Cyanea capillata (Linnaeus, 1758) = Hairy cyanide (giant arctic jellyfish; lion's mane jellyfish)

Hairy or arctic cyanide (Cyanea capillata, synonym - C. arctica) - a species of scyphoid from the discomedusa order, in which the medusa stage reaches very large sizes. The Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the world's oceans. In large specimens that are not very common, the diameter of the dome can reach 2 m, while the tentacles of such unique specimens can stretch up to 20 m. At the same time, the largest jellyfish had tentacles 36.5 meters long, with an umbrella diameter of almost 2.3 meters . But usually most cyanideas grow no more than 50-60 cm. This species also has another very interesting name: Medusa lion's mane

Hairy cyanide has an extensive range: it can be found in almost all northern seas of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. At the same time, cyanide is found only in the surface layers of water without sailing far from the coast. In warmer seas, like the Black and Azov Seas, this disk jellyfish is not found.

The body of the arctic cyanide can have a variety of colors, but it is usually dominated by red and brown tones. The upper part of the dome in adult specimens is yellowish, and its edges are usually red. The mouth lobes of cyanide are painted in crimson red. The marginal tentacles are usually light, painted in pink and purple hues. Unlike adults, juveniles are much brighter in color.

The edges of the cyanide bell, which has a hemispherical shape, are transformed into 16 blades separated by cutouts from each other. At the same time, at the base of these cutouts, there are marginal bodies of ropalia, in which there are such sensory organs as vision (in the form of eyes) and balance - their role is played by statocysts. The marginal tentacles are long; they are attached to the inner concave side of the dome under the lobes between the ropalia. The marginal tentacles are collected in 8 bundles. The mouth opening is located in the center of the lower part of the dome. It is surrounded by large, folded oral lobes hanging down in the form of curtains. The digestive system is quite branched. Its radial canals depart from the stomach, then go into the oral and marginal lobes of the bell, where they form additional branches.

In its life cycle, cyanide has a change of two generations: sexual and asexual. The sexual or medusoid generation leads an active lifestyle and lives in the water column, while individuals of the asexual polypoid generation lead an attached benthic lifestyle.

Jellyfish of the sexual generation of cyanide are separate sexes. Reproduction occurs as follows. Cyanea males release mature spermatozoa into the water through their mouths. From here they penetrate into the brood chambers of the females, which are located in the oral lobes, where the fertilization of the eggs takes place, and then their further development. Motile planula larvae emerging from fertilized eggs leave the female's brood chambers. They swim in the water column for several days, and then, having chosen a suitable place, they attach to the substrate. After that, the larva transforms into a single polyp, which is called the scyphistoma. At this stage, the polyp actively feeds, due to which it increases in size. He, budding from himself daughter scyphistomas, can thus reproduce asexually. In the spring, the process of strobilation or transverse division of the scyphistoma occurs, as a result of which active larvae of the jellyfish ethers are formed. In appearance, they resemble transparent stars with eight rays. At this stage of development, they do not have marginal tentacles and oral lobes. The ethers break away from the maternal scyphistoma and swim away, and by the middle of summer they gradually turn into jellyfish.

Jellyfish - cyanide most of the time freely hover in the surface layer of ocean water, periodically reducing the dome and flapping the edge blades. At the same time, numerous tentacles of jellyfish are straightened and extended to their full length. Cyanees are predators, therefore their long tentacles, densely seated with stinging cells, form a dense trapping net under the dome. When the stinging cells are fired, a strong poison penetrates the body of the victim, as a result of which small aquatic animals die, and larger ones cause significant damage to the body. The main prey of cyanides are various planktonic organisms, including other jellyfish.

The jellyfish of the Arctic cyanide is also dangerous for humans, since it can cause very painful burns to careless divers with its tentacles. Basically, the burn leaves only local redness on the body of a stung person, which disappears over time, but one death was also recorded ...

The largest jellyfish in the entire oceans, the Arctic cyanide (lat. Cyanea capillata) became widely known thanks to the story "The Lion's Mane" by Arthur Conan Doyle, which told about the painful death of one of the heroes caused by a meeting with the Arctic cyanide.

In fact, rumors about its mortal danger to humans are too exaggerated. Arctic cyanide not only cannot cause death, but is not even able to cause any serious damage to human health. The worst effects of contact with this jellyfish are an itchy rash and, in some cases, an allergic reaction. All this is successfully treated with compresses with vinegar.

However, arctic cyanideas are very interesting sea creatures. Let's start with the fact that cyanides live in extremely harsh climatic conditions. They can be found in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and in the northern regions of the Pacific Ocean during the coldest winter months. They rarely fall below forty-second degrees north latitude and are completely absent from the waters of the southern hemisphere.

Arctic cyanide can reach truly enormous sizes. These are not only the largest of all jellyfish, but also the largest animals in the world. The diameter of one of the jellyfish, found in 1870 off the coast of Massachusetts, exceeded two meters, and the length of the tentacles reached thirty-six meters. It is believed that the cyanide bell can grow up to two and a half meters in diameter, and the tentacles up to forty-five meters in length. This far exceeds the size of the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet.

The further north the Arctic cyanide lives, the larger it is. The most impressive sizes are jellyfish living in the coldest regions of the Arctic Ocean. As you approach warmer waters, the size of the Arctic cyanide decreases: the smallest jellyfish are found between the fortieth and forty-second degrees of northern latitude.

Usually the diameter of the bell of the Arctic cyanide does not exceed two and a half meters. The length of the tentacles of these arctic jellyfish also varies depending on the temperature of their habitat, and the color depends on the size. The largest specimens impress with rich raspberry-red tones, while the smaller specimens are characterized by pink, orange or light brown hues.

The body of the arctic cyanide is a bell with blades along the edges, shaped like a hemisphere. Long tentacles are attached to the inside of the blades, collected in eight bundles. Each such bundle grows from sixty to one hundred and thirty tentacles. In the center of the bell there is a mouth opening surrounded by long oral lobes, with the help of which the Arctic cyanide moves the caught prey towards the mouth connected to the stomach.

Like most jellyfish, the Arctic cyanide is a voracious predator that feeds on zooplankton, small fish and ctenophores. She does not deny herself the pleasure of feasting on her relatives, such as, for example, eared Aurelia. In turn, arctic cyanideas are desirable prey for seabirds, large fish, sea turtles and other jellyfish.

A similar photo is often found on the net and the caption under it says that in front of you is the largest jellyfish in the world. The jellyfish is called arctic cyanide (hairy cyanide or lion's mane), and the length of its tentacles can reach 37 meters. In general, this deep monster looks really intimidating, but is it really that huge? This post will help us figure it out.

In general, the title photo from the series is something like this:

So what is really in the photo? You may be surprised, but the photo shows a real Arctic cyanide. And she really is the largest jellyfish in the world. True, the diameter of her dome reaches a maximum of 2 meters and it looks something like this:

The largest jellyfish reached 36.5 meters, and the diameter of the "cap" was 2.3 meters.

There is a difference, isn't there?

Let's learn a little more about this jellyfish.

Cyanos is translated from Latin as blue, and capillus - hair or capillary, i.e. literally - a blue-haired jellyfish. This is a representative of the scyphoid jellyfish of the disc jellyfish order. Cyanea exists in several forms. Their number is a matter of dispute between scientists, however, two more of its varieties are currently distinguished - blue (or blue) cyanide (suapea lamarckii) and Japanese cyanide (suapea capillata nozakii). These relatives of the giant "lion's mane" are significantly inferior to her in size.

Cyanea giant is a resident of cold and moderately cold waters. It is also found off the coast of Australia, but is most numerous in the northern seas of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, as well as in the open waters of the seas of the Arctic. It is here, in the northern latitudes, that it reaches a record size. In warm seas, cyanide does not take root, and if it penetrates into milder climatic zones, it does not grow more than half a meter in diameter.
In 1865, on the coast of Massachusetts Bay (North Atlantic coast of the USA), the sea threw out a huge jellyfish, the diameter of which was 2.29 meters in diameter, and the length of the tentacles reached 37 meters. This is the largest of the giant cyanide specimens, the measurement of which is documented.

The body of the cyanide has a varied color, with a predominance of red and brown tones. In adult specimens, the upper part of the dome is yellowish, and its edges are red. The mouth lobes are crimson red, the marginal tentacles are light, pink and purple. Young individuals are colored much brighter.
Cyanides have many extremely sticky tentacles. All of them are grouped into 8 groups. Each group contains 65-150 tentacles inside, arranged in a row. The dome of the jellyfish is also divided into 8 parts, giving it the appearance of an eight-pointed star.

Attached to the substrate, the larva transforms into a single polyp - scyphistoma, which actively feeds, increases in size and can reproduce asexually, budding off daughter scyphistomas from itself.

In the spring, the process of transverse division of the scyphistoma begins - strobilation and the larvae of the jellyfish ethers are formed. They look like transparent stars with eight rays, they do not have marginal tentacles and mouth lobes. The ethers break away from the scyphistoma and swim away, and by the middle of summer they gradually turn into jellyfish.

Most of the time, cyanideas hover in the near-surface layer of water, periodically shortening the dome and flapping their edge blades. At the same time, the tentacles of the jellyfish are straightened and extended to their full length, forming a dense trapping net under the dome. Cyanees are predators. Long, numerous tentacles densely covered with stinging cells. When they are fired, a strong poison penetrates the victim's body, killing small animals and causing significant damage to larger ones. Cyanide prey - various planktonic organisms, including other jellyfish, sometimes small fish that stick to the tentacles also get caught.

Although the Arctic cyanide is poisonous to humans, its poison does not have such power to lead to death, although one case of death from the poison of this jellyfish has been recorded in the world. It can cause an allergic reaction and possibly a skin rash. And in the place where the tentacles of the jellyfish touch the skin, a person can get a burn and, subsequently, reddening of the skin, which disappears over time.

The largest jellyfish in the world is the arctic cyanide, also known as the hairy or lion's mane cyanide (lat. Cyanea capillata, Cyanea arctica). The length of the tentacles of these jellyfish can reach 37 meters, and the diameter of the dome is up to 2.5 meters and is the longest animal on the planet.

Cyanos is translated from Latin as blue, and capillus is hair or capillary, i.e. literally - a blue-haired jellyfish. This is a representative of the scyphoid jellyfish of the disc jellyfish order. Cyanea exists in several forms. Their number is a matter of dispute between scientists, however, two more of its varieties are currently distinguished - blue (or blue) cyanide (suapea lamarckii) and Japanese cyanide (suapea capillata nozakii). These relatives of the giant "lion's mane" are significantly inferior to her in size.

Atlantic cyanide, according to experts, can reach a diameter of up to 2.5 meters, in comparison with the blue whale, which is a popular example when designating the longest animal, can reach 30 meters in length, weighing about 180 tons, then the claim of giant cyanide the title of the longest animal on Earth is understandable.

In 1865, on the coast of Massachusetts Bay (North Atlantic coast of the USA), the sea threw out a huge jellyfish, the diameter of which was 2.29 meters in diameter, and the length of the tentacles reached 37 meters. This is the largest of the giant cyanide specimens, the measurement of which is documented.

Cyanides have many extremely sticky tentacles. All of them are grouped into 8 groups. Each group contains 65-150 tentacles inside, arranged in a row. The dome of the jellyfish is also divided into 8 parts, giving it the appearance of an eight-pointed star.

Jellyfish Cyanea capillata are both male and female. During fertilization, cyanide males release mature spermatozoa into the water through their mouths, from where they enter the brood chambers located in the females' oral lobes, where the eggs are fertilized and developed. Then planula larvae leave the brood chambers and swim in the water column for several days. Attached to the substrate, the larva transforms into a single polyp - scyphistoma, which actively feeds, increases in size and can reproduce asexually, budding off daughter scyphistomas from itself. In the spring, the process of transverse division of the scyphistoma begins - strobilation and the larvae of the jellyfish ethers are formed. They look like transparent stars with eight rays, they do not have marginal tentacles and mouth lobes. The ethers break away from the scyphistoma and swim away, and by the middle of summer they gradually turn into jellyfish.

You probably often saw this photo on the Internet with the caption THE BIGGEST MEDUSA IN THE WORLD. Moreover, almost everywhere they write that this is an arctic cyanide, also known as a hairy or lion's mane cyanide (lat. Cyanea capillata, Cyanea arctica). The length of the tentacles of these jellyfish can reach 37 meters.

But surely many of you had doubts whether the jellyfish is really so huge!

Understanding...

In general, the title photo from the series is something like this:

or for example like this:

The largest jellyfish reached 36.5 meters, and the diameter of the "cap" was 2.3 meters.

There is a difference, isn't there? Let's learn a little more about this jellyfish.

Photo 1.

Cyanos is translated from Latin as blue, and capillus - hair or capillary, i.e. Literally, a blue-haired jellyfish. This is a representative of the scyphoid jellyfish of the disc jellyfish order. Cyanea exists in several forms. Their number is a matter of dispute between scientists, however, two more of its varieties are currently distinguished - blue (or blue) cyanide (suapea lamarckii) and Japanese cyanide (suapea capillata nozakii). These relatives of the giant "lion's mane" are significantly inferior to her in size.

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