Jellyfish have been given an unappealing reputation because of their sting but they are still lovely sea creatures. Moving elegantly under water, these graceful swimmers can be terrifying and often go unnoticed but are also one of the most captivating animals underwater. Learn more about these mysterious aquatic animals that few people truly know about.
Here are some jellyfish facts that will surprise you:
1. They sting impossibly fast.
The jellyfish sting has an acceleration of 5 million g – that’s extremely fast! For comparison, a dropped pen has a speed of 1 g, while a Ferrari car going from 0 mph to 60 mph in 3 seconds is 3 g. The jellyfish stinger is able to hit its mark in just 700 nanoseconds, making it almost impossible for anyone to dodge its attack.
Be prepared with a Dive First-Aid Sting Medical Kit
2. They swim quite efficiently.
Compared to other sea creatures, jellyfish are not really fast swimmers. However, they swim very efficiently, using less energy but covering a lot of distance. They do this by wiggling – a simple act that creates a low pressure zone in front of them, allowing them to be sucked in the water and accelerating their movement.
3. They are quite a delicacy among their peers.
Jellyfish are a popular food source among other marine animals. Sea turtles, especially leatherbacks, are on a strict jellyfish diet. Recent studies have found out that several other fish including the sun fish, tuna, bream and even penguins love to eat jellyfish too. They are mostly a combination of high protein and water, making them a great diet food.
4. They can see.
The umbrella-like sea creature does not have a head like other fish but they can actually see. Located at the edge of its umbrella-like body is the rhopalia, which houses the jellyfish’s important organs such a balance organ, sensor and chemical receptors. The box jellyfish species have been discovered to have four rhopalias and each of these have six eyes. Those eyes function much like human eyes and also have a lens, retina and iris that adjust according to its surroundings.
