Comb Jelly (Sea Walnut)

About the Comb Jelly (Sea Walnut)

Not actually jellyfish - they belong to an entirely different phylum (Ctenophora). They are among the earliest branching animal lineages, possibly predating jellyfish by millions of years. They move using rows of cilia that refract light into rainbow-like displays. They are invasive in the Black and Caspian Seas, where they devastated fisheries. A single individual can produce 8,000 offspring per day. They can eat 10x their body weight daily. They have no stinging cells. Some species can fuse together when injured. They may be the earliest animal lineage, not sponges.