Lucernariidae
Lucernariidae is a family of cnidarians within the class Staurozoa, commonly referred to as stalked jellyfish or “lucernarids.” These unique animals are considered to be sessile, meaning they attach themselves to solid substrates, unlike their free-swimming relatives. They are often found in cold, temperate, and sometimes tropical marine waters. Lucernariidae are characterized by their polyp-like form, typically possessing a stalk that anchors them to the bottom. This stalk allows them to extend their feeding tentacles into the water column, capturing prey like small crustaceans.
Common Names
Lucernariidae are commonly known as stalked jellyfish or lucernarids. Other names include "stalked medusae" and "stalked hydroids."
Characteristics
Lucernariidae exhibit the following characteristics:
- Sessile: They attach to solid substrates, such as rocks, seaweed, or other marine organisms.
- Stalk: They possess a stalk that anchors them to the substrate and allows them to extend their tentacles.
- Polyp-like form: Their body shape resembles a polyp, with a bell-shaped structure that contains their mouth and tentacles.
- Feeding tentacles: Numerous tentacles extend from the bell, capturing prey like small crustaceans and zooplankton.
- Simple nervous system: Lucernariidae have a simple nervous system that allows them to respond to stimuli.
- Asexual reproduction: They reproduce asexually by budding, producing new polyps from their base.
Environments
Lucernariidae can be found in a variety of marine environments, including:
- Cold, temperate, and sometimes tropical waters: Their distribution is fairly broad, though they are more common in colder waters.
- Shallow to deep waters: They can be found from the intertidal zone to deeper depths.
- Attached to solid substrates: Lucernariidae attach to rocks, seaweed, seagrass, and other marine organisms.