Pacific Sea Nettle Research Paper

Chrysaora fuscescens is the scientific name of the Pacific sea nettle. They belongs to phylum Cnidaria. They are native to the San Francisco Bay, and, as the name suggests, these jellyfish live in the Pacific Ocean. They thrive along the coasts of Oregon and California. They can also be found farther north in Japan and Alaska, although they are not as common in these northern waters. On occasions, they have been spotted as far south as the west coast of Mexico. During autumn and winter, Pacific sea nettles inhabit bays and coastal areas. During these colder months, they remain close to the surface of the ocean. In spring and summer they move in large groups to deeper waters farther off the coast. The Pacific sea nettle thrives in warmer, shallow waters. Therefore, they are often found in large groups off the coast, or stranded on beaches.
The Pacific sea nettle has a reddish-brown bell that can grow up to one foot in diameter. The bell is the body of the jellyfish. Like all jellyfish, the Pacific sea nettle has an ectoderm, and an endoderm. The ectoderm is the outer
They also eat zooplankton, like fish larva. When the sea nettles extend their tentacles, it allows them to ensnare their prey. These jellies automatically sting anything that brushes their tentacles. They are not able to control the timing of their stings. Pacific sea nettles have nematocysts in their tentacles that inject poison into the prey. The poison paralyses the prey, enabling the jellyfish to begin to digest its prey with its oral arms. The oral arms move the prey to the gastric cavity for further digestion. The jellyfish begin to digest their food before it even reaches their mouth. After it has been digested, the tentacles extend again to capture more prey. Despite its stingers, the Pacific sea nettle is a main food source for sea turtles and certain fish. Leatherback sea turtles can easily pierce the body of the