Jellyfish Facts for Kids

Considering the clear appearance of jellyfish, no one can make out that some of these nearly transparent, jellyfish can sting humans and cause death. Fortunately, not all jellyfish are venomous and/or dangerous to humans. The venom is injected for the purpose of paralyzing their prey before consumption. With more than 2000 identified species, studying facts about jellyfish is very interesting for avid marine biologists. More information on jellyfish facts for kids are highlighted in the following paragraphs.

Jellyfish Fun Facts for Kids

The jellyfish are grouped under the phylum Cnidaria, whose characteristic feature is the presence of gelatinous, non-living body embedded between epithelial layers. According to evolution studies, this curious creature of the sea has evolved before the massive reptiles (dinosaurs) landed on earth. Since then, they have survived in different marine water conditions, be it cold water or warm water, and shallow coastlines or deep sea water. The following are some amazing jellyfish facts and information for kids.

Jellyfish Color and Size
Based on the types of jellyfish, the color may be white, pink, yellow, orange, red, blue, green and multicolored. Can you believe the biggest box jellyfish measures about 6 feet across? Yes, the interesting facts about jellyfish include their variable size and radially symmetrical body. While some types of jellyfish are 1 inch in diameter, others can spread to about 4 meters. Likewise, the length of tentacles vary from one species to another, with some species having 100 feet long tentacles.

Jellyfish Food
On the underside of the dome-shaped or bell-shaped body, lies the mouth of jellyfish that are surrounded by the tentacles. So, what do jellyfish eat? They are truly carnivores and feed on small marine organisms, zooplanktons, comb jellies, crustaceans and at times, other jellyfish. After assimilation of useful nutrients, the waste products are expelled out from the mouth opening. The predators of jellyfish include sun fish, sea turtles, spade fish and larger marine organisms.

Jellyfish Locomotion
The movement of jellyfish is largely dependent on the ocean currents, tides and winds. Though they have less control over horizontal movement, jellyfish can control vertical movement by means of muscular contraction. Some of them are sensitive to light and move downwards during daytime. Jellyfish constantly need water in their surrounding for survival. Absence of water causes desiccation and death of these gelatinous marine creatures.

Venomous Jellyfish
You might have seen jellyfish that have a cubic umbrella like structure. They are none other than the box jellyfish. Some of the must know box jellyfish facts for kids are their venomous nature and painful stings. A box jellyfish possesses several tentacles, each of which is equipped with approximately 500,000 of nematocysts. These specialized cells contain venom to sting predators and humans that come in their way.

A type of box jellyfish, commonly known as sea wasp (scientific name Chironex fleckeri) is claimed to be the most venomous species, causing the highest number of deaths. In Philippines, the number of fatalities caused by this deadly jellyfish is recorded to be 20-40 every year. Other poisonous types belonging to the same group are Malo kingi and Carukia barnesi.

Jellyfish Sting Treatment
Fortunately, the box jellyfish do not attack humans directly. But, anyone who accidentally comes too close to the venomous tentacles get stung by this jellyfish. These are some worrying jellyfish facts for children. To save the person's life, immediate jellyfish sting treatment is essential. An effectual first-aid tip is to pour vinegar over the area. If left unattended, the venom can impair the heart functioning within a short time. The venom is neurotoxic, which can cause death of children within 3 minutes.

Jellyfish as Foods
Jellyfish is eaten in many parts of the world. The non-poisonous types are available in the international market for culinary uses. After being harvested, a treatment procedure is followed for 20-40 days, during which the mucous lining and gonads are removed. The remaining edible parts are processed with a salt and alum mixture. The final result sold in the market is salty in taste and crunchy in texture.

Moon jellyfish are quite interesting creatures. The moon jellyfish do sting, but the effects are mild and short-term. These are small species and hardly survive in the natural habitat for 6 months. The causes of death after reproduction are lack of food, warm temperature and disease attacks. Nevertheless, they live for many years in the controlled conditions of aquariums, where there are no predators and also, no competition for food.

So, aren't jellyfish facts interesting? Some of the most important facts about jellyfish are their transparent body and venomous tentacles, which swimmers and divers cannot see clearly. Accidentally they come in the way of jellyfish and within a fraction of seconds, the venomous jellyfish injects poisons from their tentacles. To avoid such incidences, people should take precaution before diving in regions, where venomous jellyfish are found in abundance.