Southern Moon Jelly
The scientific name of a southern moon jelly is Aurelia marginalis. They are found in the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, and the Indian ocean. The domain of the jelly is eukaryote, the kingdom is animalia, the phylum is cnidaria, class is scyphoza, and the order is semaeostomeae. The family is ulmaridae, the genus is Aurelia, and the species is marginalis. The southern moon jelly has radial symmetry. Radial symmetry is when an organism can be divided many times through the middle. The flat and saucer shaped jelly is small, gooey, and translucent in water. Some adaptations of the southern moon jelly are that they have stinging cells which deliver a toxin to scare away predators when touched or scared, that is a structural adaptation. Another structural adaptation is the special muscles called coronal muscle which is on the underside of the bell. This muscle pushes water out of the hollow bell. Lastly, moon jellies can survive in water from 6 degrees C to 31 degrees C. This is a behavioral adaptation which increases their survival. Some interesting facts are they swim horizontally and have 4 horse shoe shaped organs. The predators of the southern moon jelly are sea turtles, shore birds, and fish. Their prey is zooplankton, mollusks, and copepods. They are heterotrophic organisms which means that they eat other organisms and are ectothermic which means that they cannot regulate their own body temperature. Two sources that I used are Moon Jellyfish - Animal Facts and Information and Moon Jelly - Mystic Aquarium. By Hannah Pierce
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