Cotylorhiza tuberculata
Cotylorhiza tuberculata is a species of jellyfish of the phylum Cnidaria, also known as the Mediterranean jellyfish, Mediterranean jelly, or fried egg jellyfish. It is commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Cotylorhiza tuberculata can reach 40 cm. in diameter, but is usually less than 17 cm. wide. This jellyfish’s sting has very little or no effect on humans; however, it can cause allergies in more sensitive people. These allergies usually involve itching and scratching in the stung area. The cnidarian’s smooth, elevated central dome is surrounded by a gutter-like ring. Its marginal lappets are elongated and subrectangular. Each mouth arm bifurcates near its base and branches several times. In addition to some larger appendages, there are many short, club-shaped ones that bear disk-like ends.
Cotylorhiza tuberculata are the most common jellyfish of their entire order in the Mediterranean Sea. They experience an annual life cycle marked by summer population blooms, which is likely an adaptive result of the strong seasonal changes in their Mediterranean environment. Their phases of development are quite similar to that of their other jellyfish counterparts. Cotylorhiza tuberculata‘s four main stages of growth include the swimming larvae known as planulae; younger, sessile polyps called scyphistomae; the undeveloped young adult intermediates known as ephyrae; and the adult jellyfish forms, called medusas. In a given year, planulae are present from August to November, scyphistomae are present perennially, ephyrae can be seen from May to August, and medusa are prominent from July to November.
Sexual reproduction between adult medusas typically occurs between August and October. Female are internally fertilized with sperm from the mouth arm appendages of their male counterparts, and after a gestation period, eventually release large numbers of planulae into the water. Cotylorhiza tuberculata primarily consume minuscule aquatic organisms, often a mixture of phytoplankton and zooplankton. They do not demonstrate a very high feeding diversity on the taxonomic level; it has been recorded that anywhere between 69% and 82% of their diet consists of organisms associated with the genus Spiroplasma. These prokaryotes have also been found in the diets of several other jellyfish species. Furthermore, the diet likely consists of only three to four main taxa of microplankton. The jellyfish takes in these tiny organisms through its mouth arms, from where they travel to its stomach. The interconnectedness of the Mediterranean jelly and its surrounding waters allows for an easy flow of plankton into its gastric cavity
Beautiful and elegant, it lends itself well to underwater photography and video shooting, making itself admired by all those who love the sea. As you can see from the video, I met it in a shallow rocky seabed near the coast, but we can meet it further out in the open sea both on the surface and in the first ten meters of depth.
(extract from Wikipedia)
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