How do jellies reproduce?
Jellies have a very complex life cycle which includes four phases. First, is the medusa phase. When most people think of ‘jellies’, they picture the medusa phase. This is a free swimming phase that is responsible for the sexual reproduction of the species. Each individual medusa is male or female, and during spawning will release gametes, sperm and eggs, into the water. When a jellyfish egg is fertilized, it will develop into the second phase, known as a planula (plan-you-lah). The microscopic planula will swim for about 48 hours, settle onto a hard surface, and develop into a polyp. Polyps are the asexual phase of the life cycle and closely resemble a tiny anemone. They can reproduce in two distinct ways, through budding and through strobilation. During budding, an offspring grows from a body part of a parent polyp. A single polyp can give rise to an entire colony of polyps by budding. During strobilation, the top portion of the polyp divides into segments. Each segment will eventuall
