Thursday, October 28, 2010

How do jellyfish eat?


Video of the pulsing dynamics and the resulting fluid flow generated by the upside down jellyfish, Cassiopea spp. Medusae of this genus are unusual in that they typically rest upside down on the ocean floor and pulse their bells to generate feeding currents, only swimming when significantly disturbed. The pulsing kinematics and fluid flow around these upside down jellyfish is investigated using a combination of videography, flow visualization, and numerical simulation. Coherent vortex rings are not seen in the wake above the jellyfish, but starting and stopping vortices are observed before breaking up as they pass through the elaborate oral arms (if extended). Feeding Currents Generated by Upside Down Jellyfish, ArXiv, 16 Oct 2010

1 comment:

  1. I really never got into these creatures, maybe it's because I live in Portugal and we can sometimes find them on the beach... we even have a specific species of jellyfish, a very poisonous one indeed. It's a mixture of repulse with astonishment, they sure are lovely creatures, gracious moving, beautiful colours, etc... but they are really gooey and can sting if you happen to touch a certain type of them.

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