The Immortal Jellyfish
Who discovered immortal jellyfish?
The species T. dohrnii was first described by scientists in 1883. It was 100 years later, in the 1980s, that their immortality was accidentally discovered.
Students Christian Sommer and Giorgio Bavestrello collected Turritopsis polyps, which they kept and monitored until medusae were released. It was thought that these jellyfish would have to mature before spawning and producing larvae, but when the jar was next checked, they were surprised to find many newly settled polyps.
They continued to observe the jellyfish and found that, when stressed, the medusae would fall to the bottom of the jar and transform into polyps without fertilisation or the typical larval stage occurring. The discovery, aided by the spectacular nickname 'immortal jellyfish', captured the world's attention.
Can immortal jellyfish die?
T. dohrnii may bend the rules to rejuvenate itself, but it can't always cheat death. For example, jellyfish, including immortal ones, are prey to other animals, such as fish and turtles. Polyps are also practically defenceless to predation by animals such as sea slugs and crustaceans.
Understanding how long jellyfish including T. dohrnii, can live for can be tricky.
Miranda explains, 'A lot of deep-ocean science takes a long time, and it is very costly to do observations over time to see change. The jellyfish also must have perfect conditions where they aren't going to be harmed by anything external, such as by humans or other predators.'
The species T. dohrnii was first described by scientists in 1883. It was 100 years later, in the 1980s, that their immortality was accidentally discovered.
Students Christian Sommer and Giorgio Bavestrello collected Turritopsis polyps, which they kept and monitored until medusae were released. It was thought that these jellyfish would have to mature before spawning and producing larvae, but when the jar was next checked, they were surprised to find many newly settled polyps.
They continued to observe the jellyfish and found that, when stressed, the medusae would fall to the bottom of the jar and transform into polyps without fertilisation or the typical larval stage occurring. The discovery, aided by the spectacular nickname 'immortal jellyfish', captured the world's attention.
Can immortal jellyfish die?
T. dohrnii may bend the rules to rejuvenate itself, but it can't always cheat death. For example, jellyfish, including immortal ones, are prey to other animals, such as fish and turtles. Polyps are also practically defenceless to predation by animals such as sea slugs and crustaceans.
Understanding how long jellyfish including T. dohrnii, can live for can be tricky.
Miranda explains, 'A lot of deep-ocean science takes a long time, and it is very costly to do observations over time to see change. The jellyfish also must have perfect conditions where they aren't going to be harmed by anything external, such as by humans or other predators.'
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06 December 2022
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