// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Drymonema larsoni say? I'm jelly.
| Drymonema larsoni | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Scyphozoa |
| Order: | Semaeostomeae |
| Family: | Drymonematidae |
| Genus: | Drymonema |
| Species: | D. larsoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Drymonema larsoni Bayha & Dawson, 2010 | |
Drymonema larsoni, known as the pink meanie, is a species of jellyfish belonging to the class Scyphozoa (true jellyfish). Following a mass sighting in 2000 in the Gulf of Mexico, the species and the rest of its genus were classified as their own family (Drymonematidae), a new subset of Scyphozoa.[1] They were originally thought to be a member of the same family as the lion's mane jellyfish, Cyanea capillata, but they were shown to have morphological and molecular differences.[2] Drymonema larsoni prey heavily upon jellyfish species belonging to the genus Aurelia, and they play an important role in controlling the population of these species.[2]
Drymonema larsoni is notable for its large size, with a bell up to 70 cm (2.3 ft) in diameter and extensive, elaborate oral arms and tentacles that extend 25 to 30 m (80 to 100 ft).[2] These structures are key adaptations for predation, as tentacles create a large "fishing volume" to capture prey while oral arms trap and digest multiple items simultaneously. Larger individuals (those with a bell diameter greater than 100 mm (3.9 in)) are near-obligate predators of Aurelia spp., though smaller individuals primarily feed on zooplankton.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ Ker Than, ""Pink Meanie" Pictures: New Jellyfish Attacks Other Jellies", National Geographic, archived from the original on January 26, 2011, retrieved 5 September 2015
- 1 2 3 4 Bayha, Keith M.; Graham, William M.; Higgins III, John E.; Fletcher, Heather A. (1 July 2012). "Predation potential of the jellyfish Drymonema larsoni Bayha & Dawson (Scyphozoa: Drymonematidae) on the moon jellyfish Aurelia sp. in the northern Gulf of Mexico". Hydrobiologia. 690 (1): 189–197. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1038-8.
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