Hundreds of beach-going Brazilians were stung by a smack of jellyfish yesterday. "Authorities blamed an extreme heat wave over the southeastern region." Jellyfish smacks and stings: the Christmas gift that keeps on giving (thanks J.R.).
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Does any one know if jellyfish can be used as fertilizer? Maybe give the US cornbelt a "smack"down?
It annoys me they called Portugese man o/ war a jellyfish with no explanation that it actually isn't.
Ace! You're right! Even Wikipedia agrees. Any suggestions on how to change the perception? As for jellyfish (or Man o' Wars) as fertilizer, I don't see why not. The Unnatural History of the Sea is full of accounts of fish being used in that way. I don't know how rich in nitrogen levels jellies are, but there is reason to think jellies would be a better source of omega-3 (DHA) than menhaden.
Although Ace is technically right, the generally accepted definition of 'jellyfish' is much more broad. This misrepresentaion may irk some of the more fastidious among us, but I think the inclusive definition is actually useful.
"True" jellyfish are usually described as belonging to the class Scyphozoa. Thus, if we adopt such a definition we would have to exclude not only the MOWs but also the infamous box jellyfish [sic] and the irukandji, which are responsible for most human deaths due to jellies. If we start referring to these headlining animals as non-jellyfish, we're just going to confuse the public.
Many scientists also subscribe to this definition, noting that most of these organisms have similar ecological roles as higher-order carnivores in plankton communities. Although this sweeping definition can create some confusion (e.g. ctenophores, salps), I think it is useful for communicating with the public. Clearly the issues surrounding gelatinous zooplankton in today's oceans apply to more than just scyphozoans, and getting lost in semantics doesn't help with public awareness. If it looks, acts, and swims like a jellyfish, I say we call it a jellyfish. Need to get specific about a particular group or species? That's why we have Latin.
Many scientists also subscribe to this definition, noting that most of these organisms have similar ecological roles as higher-order carnivores in plankton communities