User:Paytonfleming/species sandbox

= Stellamedusa = The Stellamedusa, otherwise known as the "bumpy" jelly, is a genus of schyphozoa or "true jellyfish". It is found in the family Ulmaridae and has only one known species, Stellamedusa Ventana. It is a rare genus, with only several sightings over a decade of extensive research.

Description
The Stellamedusa "bumpy" jelly has a blue-white color to it and is also translucent. Its central bell has four fleshy oral arms that hang from the center of the bell at the bottom. This jellyfish does not have any tentacles, however, the exterior of the bell and the four arms have small projections that hold clusters of nematocysts. These nematocysts are white and its what the Stellamedusa uses to catch its food or prey. The Stellamedusa are a larger scyphomedusae, reaching a diameter of 9.4 cm across and around 20 cm long.

Feeding
Specimens of the Stellamedusa genus were collected for observation and documentation leading to the following results made by Raskoff and Matsumoto in 2004. The Stellamedusa feeds off of many things. It captures its prey using the small bumps of nematocysts on the bell. Once captured, the prey moves down the bell to the margins of the umbrella, then the oral arms bend up to the food item, attach to it, and fold it into their mouth.

The jelly seems to take in larger pieces of food as opposed to smaller bits. It feeds off of organisms such as shrimp and squid to name a few. It has been observed to eat cydippid ctenophores, which is believed to be the main diet of the jelly. Along with the ctenophores, it is also believed that this predator primarily feeds on other smaller jellyfish.

Habitat and Environment
The jellyfish was previously observed and believed to be only in Monterey Bay, California along with the Sea of Cortez, however, it was recently observed in a third location. In 2013, the Stellamedusa Ventana was seen in a shallow bay on the Eastern Tropical Pacific, in Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica. This new sighting opened up the idea that the jellyfish is not restricted to mesopelagic environments.

These Scyphozoans are pelagic and have been found only in tropical regions. They live between the depths of 150-500 m.

Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Stellamedusa is in the class Scyphozoa. Scyphozoans are gonochoric organisms. They have a fairly complex life cycle. It starts with an adult medusa. The adult lays an egg, which overtime develops into a free-swimming (planula) larva. From there, the larva settle to the bottom floor, where they develop into polyps with tentacles (scyphistoma). The scyphistomas then reproduce asexually by forming cysts, budding, or even segmentation and segment metamorphosis. These segments then develop into medusae, eventually growing to young jellyfish. Lastly, these young jellyfish grow to adult medusae, only to reproduce and allow the cycle to start all over again.

Genus and Species Name
Before receiving its official name, Stellamedusa had the nickname "bumpy". It was given this name due to its small clusters of stinging cells. These stinging cells have a similar appearance to tiny bumps or wart-like features. These bumps cover the jellyfishes arms and bell, making it a dangerous predator.

The MBARI researchers that discovered this jelly gave it the name Stellamedusa Ventana. The genus and first part of species name, Stellamedusa, was given to the jellyfish because of its blue/white color along with its translucent blue/white arms, reminding the scientists of a shooting star or falling meteor. The species name, Ventana, came from the MBARI's ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Ventana which is the name of the submarine robot that was used to first capture the jellyfish on video.

Jellyfish Blooms
Jellyfish blooms are a reoccurring phenomena each spring and summer season. These blooms occur due to the jellyfishes ability to reproduce asexually and sexually, but can also be influenced by human activities such as fishing activity or the introduction of a new species. Jellyfish have two types of blooms; true blooms (due to demographics) and apparent blooms (an increase in local population temporarily due to other factors)