Mnemiopsis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
M. mccradyi |
Mnemiopsis is a genus of ctenophore (comb jellies).
Mnemiopsis have a lobate body that is oval-shaped and transparent, with four rows of ciliated combs that run along the body vertically and glow green when disturbed at night. They have several feeding tentacles. Unlike cnidarians, Mnemiopsis doesn't sting. Their body contains 97% water. They are small animals, having a maximum body length of 120 mm.
Mnemiopsis is a carnivore that consumes copepods, larvae, and fish eggs. It is sometimes known to eat its own kind. It also has several predators. Many are vertebrates, including species of birds and fish. Some predators include other members of gelatinous zooplankton such as Beroe (another type of ctenophore) and various Scyphozoan jellyfish.
Mnemiopsis has the capacity for self fertilization, as they are hermaphroditic. They have gonads that contain the ovary and spermatophore bunches in their gastrodermis. This animal carries 150 eggs along each meridional canal. Eggs and sperm are released into the water column where external fertilization takes place. The spawning is commences at late evening or at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. The spawning eggs develop a thick cover within 1 minute after touching the seawater. As many as 10,000 eggs can be produced from large specimens from areas with good prey resources. It is generally thought that egg production can starts when the animals reach about 30 mm in length, but smaller individuals have reported to reproduce eggs. Egg production increases with ctenophore size, and it is unclear when senescence occurs.
Mnemiopsis can tolerate a range of salinity, temperature, and water quality.
