New Delhi: World Jellyfish Day is observed on November 3 yearly. The day celebrates Jellyfish, a beautiful and mysterious sea creature. It was started to encourage people to learn more about Jellyfish and share what they discover with others.
Jellyfish are marine animals that do not have bones and have existed on this planet longer than dinosaurs. According to scientists, Jellyfish first appeared about 500 million years ago. This was confirmed when researchers in 2007 found 505-million-year-old jellyfish fossils in the US. This finding was surprising because Jellyfish usually do not leave fossils like other animals.
On World Jellyfish Day, let us look at why and when the day started and some interesting facts about the marine creature.
World Jellyfish Day 2024: When and why was the day started?
Marine biologists established World Jellyfish Day in 2014 to raise awareness about jellyfish’s important role in the ocean. November 3 honours Dr Ernst Haeckel, a well-known German biologist famous for his work on Jellyfish and marine life.
World Jellyfish Day also highlights the advantages jellyfish offer to people.
World Jellyfish Day is also a reminder of the challenges jellyfish face, such as habitat loss and pollution, which threaten their populations and the ecosystems they support.
Interesting facts about Jellyfish
Jellyfish are beautiful sea animals and play an important role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. They act as both predators and prey. They also help control the populations of smaller sea creatures, like plankton, while providing food for larger animals, such as fish and sea turtles.
Jellyfish do not have a brain, heart, blood, or bones. They are made up of over 90 per cent water. At the base of their tentacles, they have a basic nervous system. This system helps them detect temperature, touch, and salinity.
These sea creatures can range in size from a centimetre to more than 2 metres.
The most venomous jellyfish is the Australian Box Jellyfish.
There are some jellyfish that can glow in the dark.
A group of jellyfish is called a swarm, bloom or smack. The group can include up to 300,000 jellyfish.
Jellyfish are attracted to warmer water and will often appear seasonally.
An adult jellyfish spawns eggs and sperm in the water, which join to create a fertilised egg. The fertilised egg then grows into a larva called a planula.
