#ATOLLA!!!!!

[respect-the-locals]

🪼Daily Cnidarian Fact:🪼

Atolla Jellyfish: Also known as the Coronate medusa and deep-sea jellyfish, this is a species of deep-sea crown jellyfish. It typically has 20 marginal tentacles and one hypertrophied tentacle which is larger than the rest. This long trailing tentacle is thought to facilitate prey capture. This species is bioluminescent. When attacked, it will launch a series of flashes, whose function is to draw predators who will be more interested in the attacker than itself. This has earned the animal the nickname "alarm jellyfish".

[cuttledreams-bugs]

November theme: Blobfest

Danger blob: Flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus)

Disco blob: Alarm jelly (Atolla wyvillei)

Blobchain: Cristatella mucedo

Blobbageddon: Golden star tunicate (Botryllus schlosseri)

InsertanInvert2024 Challenge

[cryptidwithacopiccollection]

Someone requested these three but tumblr ate the ask. If it was you just know I saw u and here you go

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the atolla jellyfish!

The atolla jellyfish, also known as the coronate medusa, alarm jellyfish, and deep-sea jellyfish, scientific name Atolla wyvillei, is a crown jellyfish (from the order Coronate) found in deeper waters. (Note: Atolla jellyfish may refer to several species of atolla, but  Atolla wyvillei is the most commonly found globally.) The atolla jelly is one of the most commonly found jelly in the depths, living in the midnight zone (1,00 to 4,000 meters below the surface) across the globe! Although, they can be found as high up as 300 meters below the surface, we still know little about them due to their depth range.

Most well known about these jellies is their bioluminescent response to predation. When this jellyfish is threatened or disturbed, a blue-green bioluminescence lights up, lighting up the predator. The visual is that of several rings flowing down the bell of the jelly, I would recommend looking up a video, it's quite stunning! This confuses the predator, shocking it into halting its attack, and giving off the illusion of multiple jellyfish in the area. However, this lightshow also acts as a calling for larger predators, lured in by the lights, the attacker of the jellyfish is far better prey to larger animals. Allowing the atolla jelly time to retreat. In the early 2010's this was used by marine biologist Edith Widdler to invent the E Jelly, a device which mimics the luminescent patterns of the atolla. The E Jelly has since been successful in luring animals, and its use provided us with the first ever video of a live giant squid in 2019.

The atolla feeds on crustaceans and shrimp, along with floating nutrients around them. The jellyfish has 20 marginal tentacles and a trailing tentacle, which is larger and thought to be used in catching prey. Reproduction can be done both asexually, and sexually, using the trailing tentacle to pull themselves towards a mate and attach temporarily. They grow between 20-180 mm (about an inch to 7 inches) in diameter along the bell, and although tentacle length is currently unknown, it is estimated to be 10 inches at most.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

[malzita-vyradrith]

Atolla "Rapture" Noctiluca!! My siren boy and gay disaster! Lore dump under the cut

(He/they)

Personality:

He is flamboyant, charming, observant, guarded, romantic, and generous.

He takes after his mother, if not in appearance. The rumors about her have been echoed about them. A host by nature, events thrown by this prince are acclaimed. Weather as elegant, diplomatic balls or wild, lively parties. They are personable, and most find him easy to talk to, however anyone who does will find they learned nearly nothing about him; he is chronically two-faced around the palace. He knows the worth of nearly everything, especially that you cannot buy with coins, much preferring a 'favors for favors' system. He knows the court well, and keeps connections carefully, managing his reputation like a business. Despite his well put together persona, he is at heart a hopeless romantic and frankly a drama queen. He has a fondness for idealistic fantasy stories, and jewelry. Atolla dislikes going on land, and is only an average flier. This embarrasses him to no end, though he hides it well.

Backstory:

As one of the eldest princes, he is very familiar with the siren's court, and often perceived as a charming, socially apt prince simply basking in his afforded luxury. Those who know him well see how hard he tries to subtly stack the deck in his favor. When he was young, he felt isolated, not sharing much of a connection with his closest siblings, and with his parents busy with their duties as king and queen. So, in their adolescence, they spent several years in the depths learning from a very old seawing. Now that he is home, they enjoy being backstage, rather than in the spotlight. He is well known among his siblings for always having anything you could need or want- and those who aren't too proud are gifted help should they ask, though not without a feigned sigh and grin. He most often stays in his estate in the deep sea, it boasts a wild theater renowned for its enchanting dancers whose scales pulse in time with the beat as the move about the space.

[aconstantallegory]

the legs aren't finished BUT.

[lusifernocturne]

The Lazy Bowl tavern and inn

A smaller building with three floors; one for the tavern, two for the guest rooms(4 small single rooms[5sp], 2 small rooms with double beds[1gp], and 4 moderate rooms with 2 double beds[8cp]). The innkeeper lives in a moderate room on the first floor. The food is made with local produce, spices, and meat.

Innkeeper: Pyre(earth genesi woman)

Menu (or average price of a room/meal): Fish stew(10cp), Buckwheat Porridge(3 cp), Mug of Cider (3 cp), Stewed Pork and Mushrooms with a Tankard of Cider (7 cp), Boiled Mutton and Rye Bread with a Tankard of Beer (9 cp), Boiled Eggs and Dried Beetroot with Tankard of Bitter (11 cp), Tankard of any drinks on the menu(2cp), Fresh salad and Boiled Mutton(2sp), Fresh salad(12cp), Tea(2cp), coffee(2cp), sweet rolls (4 for 7cp), crab cakes(2 good sized for 5cp), and a dish of the day.

Dish of the day by day of the week-

Monday: Atolla sea chili; made with crabmeat, shrimp, and sea scallops, tomatoes, celery, corn, green onions, kidney beans, and colorful bell peppers. It's a very spicy dish with a hint of sweetness at the end. It's served with sweet rolls and a drink of your choice.(5sp)

Tuesday: Grilled bass or trout and mixed vegetables(made up of mushrooms, beets, yellow squash, brussels sprouts, and asparagus). Served with either Rye Bread or a side salad and a drink of your choice.(10cp)

Wednesday: Fish of the day(up to you) with garlic sauce and noodles. Served with mixed fruit(also up to you) and a drink of your choice.(6cp)

Thursday: Fish and chips or Rum-Glazed Shrimp, batter scraps , and rye bread and butter. Served with a drink of your choice, and if wanted lemon wedges and/or a sauce(Tartare, Salt and vinegar, or curry). (3sp)

Friday: Baked Salmon with lemon and garlic, cabbage and rutabaga Slaw, and mixed berry salad. Server with rolls and a drink of your choice.(3sp)

Saturday: Beef stir-fry made with bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and green onions. It has a delicious scent and taste combination.  Served with a drink of your choice and either sweet rolls or crab cakes.(5sp)

Sunday: 1. Garlicky Lemon Mahi Mahi, seared scallops, ruby red beet & apple salad, and baked potato. Served with a drink of your choice and either sweet rolls or rye bread & butter.(8sp)

2. Seafood Jambalaya made with shrimp, two buttermilk cornbread muffins, collard greens, and corn on the cob. Served with a drink of your choice and either crab balls, hush puppies, or rolls.(6sp)

Rumors: Small jobs, gnoll attacks, places that may need help, crime, and local gossip.

[qrunchydraws]

2023 ref sheet for Atolla! I adopted them from Mizu-adopts on deviantart but I've tweaked his design a little to have more of a lunar witchy theme.

[mrboy425]

drew some jellyfish today ^^

[donuts4evry1]

oh god I can't stop giggling,,

so like, Atollidae (the family of Atolla Jellyfish) is called "ヒラタカムリクラゲ科" in Japanese (translating to "Flat Crown Jellyfish" in English- very literal). This is a little weird, since the jellyfish in the family are known as "Purple Crown Jellyfish"

meanwhile, the family Periphyllidae is known simply as "クロカムリクラゲ科," or just "Black Crown Jellyfish"

which is funny considering that the jellyfish in this family are also known as "Black Crown Jellyfish" (I suspect the family is simply named after the common name of the animal, haha)

I'm not sure why I find it so funny tbh 🤔🤔, the fact that they decide to be literal with the family Atollidae while sticking to the common name with the family Periphyllidae is just a little weird to me ig?

When it comes to the common names, the naming conventions are eerily similar ("Purple Crown Jellyfish" and "Black Crown Jellyfish"), so ig the family names not reflecting this is kind of funny

[wronghandcomic]

The Citrus Lotion cast!

[lyrker]

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH SIPHONOPHORES IS COMPLICATED I HATE THE WAY THEY LOOK GREATLY BUT I ALSO WANT TO STUDY THEM LIKE A BUG. THEY ARE INTERESTING.

JELLYFISH DO NOT GET THE PRIVILEGE OF MY INTRIGUE.

ESPECIALLY THE ATOLLA JELLYFISH.

FUCK THE ATOLLA JELLYFISH.

Siphonophore appreciation post

[cryptidwithacopiccollection]

[ablurrylilsystem]

HIHIS!!!!

IM HERE BITCHES :DDDDD

[mbari-blog]

Serving Demogorgon vibes for the start of spooky season 🎃

Atolla gigantea is the largest Atolla species that occurs off the coast of California. This species of deep-sea crown jelly can reach a diameter of up to 15 centimeters (six inches). It is also a hefty animal with a bulky body. MBARI has only encountered this species a dozen times. ⁠ Atolla belongs to the order Coronatae. Jellies in this order have a distinctive furrowed bell. A deep groove runs around the bell, separating the domed, lens-like top from the thick margin. The edge of the bell has wide segments, known as pedalia, that contain finger-like lappets. The thick edge of the bell resembles a crown, earning this group of jellies its regal name.

The deep-sea crown jelly is one of the most widely distributed jellyfish. The genus occurs worldwide, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Scientists currently recognize 10 species of Atolla, but they can be hard to distinguish, and undoubtedly, some are undescribed species.⁠

Learn more about these regal residents on the deep in our Animals of the Deep gallery.

[the-jellydex]

^^ This post exactly.

Jellyfish are NOT a monolith and I think more people need to say it. It's also a lot more subjective of a term than a lot of people will admit.

The most basic of definitions will only include jellyfish of Phylum Cnidaria Class Scyphozoa, while most will include Scyphozoa, Cubozoa, and some of Hydrozoa (excluding benthic Hydrozoans, Siphonophores like the man whore, and Hydras).

Some will include Ctenophores. We also have tunicate Chordates, like Salps and Pyrosomes. These have primitive spinal chords (Noto-chords, I think they're called?) and yet are still included in the Jellyfish lineup despite defying invertebrate odds)

And even still, some will go as far as to include individuals from the Phylum Mollusca- like Sea Angels.

It's a real mess, and I think it's lovely. In the true spirit of jellyfish, things are deceptively simple and also incredibly complicated.

But yeah. . . Even within Phylum Cnidaria jellyfish life cycles can be pretty diverse. Hell, even within class Scyphozoa life cycles can be... different

Crown Jellyfish are an especially good example of this. Here, jellies of the Nausithoe aurea (known as "Crown Jellyfish" in English and "Ephyra Jellyfish" in Japanese) come out of a goblet-looking polyp. Apparently they can do a unique(?) form of asexual reproduction even after strobilation but I haven't finished reading the literature on that yet. Apparently different species of Nausithoe can also have different life cycles... augh

Then we've got the Periphylla Jellyfish, which don't even have a benthic polyp stage or planula.

Going further... apparently Purple Man-eaters (Pelagia noctiluca) don't have a polyp stage but DO have a planula that turn into ephyra :).

Additionally, most jellyfish in Order Rhizostomeae exhibit mono-disc strobilation (where instead of many ephyra are produced at once, only one is produced).

Of course, we can't forget about Jellies in class Cubozoa, which don't even strobilate for the most part. Some metamorphosize into baby cubomedusa straight from the polyp (leaving no residue, which is very nice of them). Others leave a bit of residue- and others, like the Morbakka virulenta (Fire Jellyfish, in Japanese), are known to exhibit some traits of mono-disc strobilation.

Unfortunately I can't really find footage of this anywhere, but it's because I can't find anyone (with the exception of researchers) who actually care about Box Jellyfish life cycle?? Like, the only image I can find of it rn is in my trusty Jellyfish book (Jellyfish: A Natural History) by Lisa-Ann Gershwin

anyways, that's all I care to ramble about this topic at the moment, haha (I don't wanna talk about Hydrozoa they give me headaches)

In which inaccurate google results cause me to create "art"

There I was, preparing for teaching my class, and I wanted to find a nice figure to show the difference between the ctenophore and jellyfish life cycle. Often people think Ctenophores are the same as Jellyfish, and while both of those critters are jelloid, ctenophores are different. They're their whole damn phylum. PHYLUM! There are only 9 phyla total. What I'm saying is, they're some seriously unique critters.

So anyway, la de la, there I go, googling "ctenophore life cycle" and DEAR LORD, the top result is a picture of a jellyfish life cycle, complete with jellyfish, claiming it's a ctenophore life cycle! Shock horror!

Jellyfish life cycles are cool and weird, involving a polyp stage, and then a budding polyp stage that farts out little doilies that turn into Jellyfish. That is cool! We love that! But that's not what ctenophores do!

Gather 'round class. This is the difference.

Sometimes ya gotta make an emergency science doodle, ya know?

Ctenophores, with the exception of benthic ctenophores, which are also cool as hell, live their whole life up in the water. No bottom stage for them

Ctenophores are the coolest.

Here are some benthic ctenos

(pic taken at a very cool benthic cteno exhibit at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium)