This creature got its name from the mythological figure of Medusa the Gorgon. "Medusa," incidentally, means "ruler" or "guardian," though in the context of that particular Gorgon it probably means something closer to: look her in the eye and turn to stone. In English, funnily enough, it sounds even better: "look into her eyes and you'll get stoned." Plenty of people wouldn't mind getting a little stoned now and then, and in that sense, the Gorgon's little party trick does make her something of a ruler — not someone you casually make eye contact with. You look down, bashfully, and try to gather your thoughts.
But what does this powerful woman actually have in common with a spineless creature that's 98% water, like a cucumber? Purely feminine attributes: the Greek Medusa had dreadlocks made of snakes, and the sea jellyfish has something similar going on, if you count its tentacles. And that's where the resemblance ends. But apparently that was enough, once upon a time, to lock the name into biology textbooks for good. So now some people know "Medusa" as that snotty little dome in the water; others know it as a news website; and only a rare few dimly recall the ancient Greek myth behind it all.
We're the third kind. So listen up: a jellyfish breathes through its whole body, and finds its way around using specialized sensory structures called rhopalia, which pick up on various signals from the world around it, including light. It has no eyes (of course not), but it does have a mouth — which it uses to eat, and, in reverse, to do the opposite, if the leftover food hasn't fully digested. Like a vampire, a jellyfish fears sunlight: leave one out in the sun, and there won't be so much as a wet spot left.
Jellyfish can be extremely venomous, and some grow enormous — up to a hundred kilograms — but in the Black Sea, these lovely little things come in three relatively harmless varieties:
1. Barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma). You can't miss this one — psychedelically beautiful and bearded. Its lacy "beard" is where its stinging cells live, and its "lampshade" is trimmed with a lilac edge. If you spot a pretty one, swim breaststroke around it, unless you're in the mood for a burning sensation and a lilac mark on your skin. To be fair, its sting isn't anything serious — nettles sting worse. I once swam face-first into one myself. It was fun.
2. Aurelia (moon jellyfish). A lovely name — it's also the name of Sofia Rotaru's younger sister, who, incidentally, also sings. Aurelia is the most common and least dangerous jellyfish in the Black Sea. Its stinging cells are nowhere near as potent as the barrel jellyfish's, so the worst it can do is get acquainted with your mucous membranes — and even then, only if you're really persistent about it. Otherwise, just paddle along. Speaking of paddling:
3. Mnemiopsis (comb jelly). Also found in the Black Sea, shimmering in rainbow colors, and easily mistaken for a jellyfish — but it actually belongs to a different group, the ctenophores. Unlike true jellyfish, comb jellies are hermaphrodites. So just keep your distance, and don't hold it against them.
But what does this powerful woman actually have in common with a spineless creature that's 98% water, like a cucumber? Purely feminine attributes: the Greek Medusa had dreadlocks made of snakes, and the sea jellyfish has something similar going on, if you count its tentacles. And that's where the resemblance ends. But apparently that was enough, once upon a time, to lock the name into biology textbooks for good. So now some people know "Medusa" as that snotty little dome in the water; others know it as a news website; and only a rare few dimly recall the ancient Greek myth behind it all.
We're the third kind. So listen up: a jellyfish breathes through its whole body, and finds its way around using specialized sensory structures called rhopalia, which pick up on various signals from the world around it, including light. It has no eyes (of course not), but it does have a mouth — which it uses to eat, and, in reverse, to do the opposite, if the leftover food hasn't fully digested. Like a vampire, a jellyfish fears sunlight: leave one out in the sun, and there won't be so much as a wet spot left.
Jellyfish can be extremely venomous, and some grow enormous — up to a hundred kilograms — but in the Black Sea, these lovely little things come in three relatively harmless varieties:
1. Barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma). You can't miss this one — psychedelically beautiful and bearded. Its lacy "beard" is where its stinging cells live, and its "lampshade" is trimmed with a lilac edge. If you spot a pretty one, swim breaststroke around it, unless you're in the mood for a burning sensation and a lilac mark on your skin. To be fair, its sting isn't anything serious — nettles sting worse. I once swam face-first into one myself. It was fun.
2. Aurelia (moon jellyfish). A lovely name — it's also the name of Sofia Rotaru's younger sister, who, incidentally, also sings. Aurelia is the most common and least dangerous jellyfish in the Black Sea. Its stinging cells are nowhere near as potent as the barrel jellyfish's, so the worst it can do is get acquainted with your mucous membranes — and even then, only if you're really persistent about it. Otherwise, just paddle along. Speaking of paddling:
3. Mnemiopsis (comb jelly). Also found in the Black Sea, shimmering in rainbow colors, and easily mistaken for a jellyfish — but it actually belongs to a different group, the ctenophores. Unlike true jellyfish, comb jellies are hermaphrodites. So just keep your distance, and don't hold it against them.