Jellyfish:
France’s Gravelines Nuclear Power Station temporarily shut down three reactors after a massive jellyfish swarm clogged its cooling system.
- Jellyfish are free-swimming marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and class Scyphozoa.
- They are ancient species, existing for over 500 million years.
- Scientific Name: While “jellyfish” is a common term, most belong to Aurelia aurita (Moon Jellyfish) and related species.
- Found in oceans worldwide, from surface waters to deep seas, often concentrated near coastal zones.
- Key Features:
- Gelatinous, umbrella-shaped bell with tentacles containing stinging cells (nematocysts).
- Lacks bones, brain, or heart; body is ~95% water.
- Moves passively with currents, occasionally pulsating for mobility.
- Can form blooms — rapid population explosions under favourable conditions.
