The jellyfish is presumed to be one of the primitive marine species to have existed on Earth 600 million years ago.Free-swimming jellyfish have a unique reproduction behavior because of their two body types: one is of a polyp and the second is of a medusa. It is believed that they reproduce twice in their life cycle, one is asexually and the second is sexually by spawning eggs.Jellyfish have been known to exist on Earth long before dinosaurs. They are also called sea jellies. They are free-swimming sea creatures that are known to flow along the ocean currents. Because of their name, these jellyfish are frequently misidentified as fish, but they are actually marine invertebrates. They were first described in the ’80s by Christian Sommer and Giorgio Bavestrello who were German students.These species have a unique body form that goes through a great metamorphosis process from having a budding body form to a bell-shaped body structure with tentacles. The reproduction in these jelly animals takes place by both processes, sexually and asexually. The life of jellyfish is complex which begins with a small planula that later develops and grows into an adult stage of medusa.If you enjoyed reading this article about how do jellyfish reproduce, then do read some surprising fun facts about other marine species such as how do betta fish mate and how do goldfish mate.Do jellyfish lay eggs or give live birth?Jellyfish that lay eggs do not belong to the mammal family.The jellyfish has two body types called ‘polyp’ and ‘medusa’. Polyps are known to reproduce asexually without eggs and sperm, while the adult medusae form release eggs and sperm. The tentacles of these jelly species play a significant role in reproduction. Male and female jellyfish attach their tentacles in order to pass the sperm into the female. They might mate during the dawn and dusk periods. The eggs are released in the sea or ocean as soon as the eggs are fertilized.First, the sperm released will begin to develop and grow in places called gonads. The developed eggs are then released into the stomach, and after that, into the sea through their mouth. In many cases, the male releases sperm into the sea, and then, the sperm swims towards the mouth of the female in order to be fertilized. When the whole fertilization process is complete, the eggs released settle down and attach to the hard surface. They develop or take the forms of planula.The planula then begins to develop into polyps through a process known as budding. From there, they are separated into small or tiny polyps that either take the form of a female or a male. Polyps are known to reproduce asexually. Later, these polyps become the ephyra, a disc-shaped body through the process of strobilation (a stack of tiny strobila or jellyfish). At the last stage, they take the shape of a medusa called a baby jellyfish, and then, grow into an adult with a bell-shaped body along with oral arms and tentacles. The life of jelly species is complex with each stage having different forms and food to feed upon from the surrounding.How many eggs do jellyfish produce?Sea jellies release eggs in large numbers. Through their life cycle, they reproduce twice, once sexually and the next time asexually. A sea jelly releases up to 45,000 eggs in one night.The first stage is a medusa and the second stage is a polyp. The polyp can survive for a longer period of time, whereas, the medusa is primarily dependent on the animals that surround it. Tiny sea jellies are predated as food by marine animals such as sea turtles, spadefish, and sunfish. The medusa is known to fall under three categories and can become any of these. The first one is the true jellyfish (scyphozoan) such as moon jelly, the second is the hydrozoan such as Portuguese man o’ war, and the third is the cubozoan such as box jellyfish. The eggs first begin to become larva planula or jelly babies.Do jellyfish reproduce themselves?Yes, these sea jellies can reproduce themselves, especially in the polyp stage.A polyp is known to reproduce asexually without sperm and become more individualistic in the process of reproduction. The polyp grows from planula through the process of budding, similar to how branches of a tree grow. They have a more developed digestive system and feed on plankton and small sea animals. With the passage of time, the buds grow and become ephyra after segmenting from the main body.How often do jellyfish reproduce?A jellyfish is known to reproduce once a day, specifically when they bloom together in large numbers.It varies from species to species of sea jellies. It is believed that in the winter season, these jellyfish reproduce, and with the arrival of the summer season, their numbers rise from the month of May until August. The polyp stage is seen during the winter season when the tree goes through the process of budding. A favorable condition is required for them to reproduce using their mouth. For example, the moon jellyfish is a true jellyfish that reproduces externally in the water columns, whereas, comb jellies reproduce sexually with the help of male sperm.Do box jellyfish reproduce more than once a year?These cubozoan species are oviparous and mostly found in freshwater where female jellyfish live. They gather around in the spring season and after breeding dies.Yes, box jellyfish reproduce once a year. The babies born are independent and mature at the age of two months. They can live for eight to nine months at their maximum. The life span of the box jellyfish is short. They eat food such as shrimp, worms, and other species of sea jellies using their tentacles.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how do jellyfish reproduce, then why not take a look at how do jellyfish eat or jellyfish fun facts for kids?
The jellyfish is presumed to be one of the primitive marine species to have existed on Earth 600 million years ago.
