Spyke

Jellyfish are cnidarians, a phylum which also includes corals and sea anemones. Jellyfish are a specific lifecycle stage of medusozoans (their own subphylum), while corals and sea anemones are anthozoans (another subphylum of Cnidaria).

So yup, they are polyps before sexual maturity. And you'll find they're more closely related to corals than they are to members of any other phylum.

Edit: I highly recommend that anyone who wants to get lost in the world of marine invertebrates check out WoRMS and then follow along in parallel on Wikipedia as you navigate the tree.

123
lemmy.world

There is a species of jellyfish which is functionally immortal. When they get too old they simply turn into children again and re-age.

Edit: I'm not saying it's not biologically immortal, I'm saying functionally immortal because I'm indicating that it can still be killed.

Saying something doesn't experience aging is not the same as insisting it cannot die.

2+2=4 is not less correct because 2x2 also equals 4.

57
lemmy.world

No, I meant functionally. As in practically. For all intents and purposes. As in under normal conditions.

It's like if I said "You meant 'searching for' and not 'looking for'", when looking indicates visual searching.

In other words it's a meaningless distinction in the usage and I would look like a real dickhead pedant if I insisted you use another word.

-15
hemkoreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

Biological immortality is the term for what you were describing. The fact that I politely pointed it out and linked a relevant Wikipedia article of the topic doesn't warrant you to get insulted and call me a dickhead

22

There is a functional difference between being pedantic about the word "functionally" and supplying relevant information.

My comment indicates that the animal can still die, your comment indicates it doesn't age.

Do you see the meaningless distinction?

-17
lemmy.world

No, my point with "functionally" is that it can be killed.

Biological immortality is a very specific concept indicating an absence of aging and the absence of an increase in expected mortality along with age.

I just mean that something can still eat it. This is an easy concept to understand if you're not focused on correcting people needlessly.

-1

I was just being a smartass, but I appreciate your commitment to clear communication.

1
lemmy.world

This graphic is going counterclockwise and I didn't enjoy that. On the other hand, neat.

54
pyrereply
lemmy.world

I disagree, time should flow left to right and by the nature of the egg it starts with top-to-bottom. so you have to start on the left, go to the bottom, keep going right, then the jellyfish rises so go back to top and then complete the circle

17
Redfox8reply
mander.xyz

But what came first? The jellyfish or the egg??!!

5

don't listen to the other comments they obviously don't know about the primordial jellyfish

1
Agent641reply
lemmy.world

Mushrooms are creepy and gross too, when you get to know them.

23
Swedneckreply
discuss.tchncs.de

fungi are conceptually lovecraftian horrors but in practice they're basically just strange plants, and i find that neat.

10
nomousreply
lemmy.world

they're basically just strange plants

Actually they're closer to strange animals, which just reinforces just how neat they are!

3
Swedneckreply
discuss.tchncs.de

i know.
The dichotomy is between the knowledge that they're closer to animals than anything else, yet they don't behave anything like animals and they permeate basically every part of the earth.

2
lemmy.ca

I hate mushrooms with a passion tbh, not just the way they taste, but even seeing them growing in the wild grosses me out. Disgusting things, I'd eat bugs before resorting to eating mushrooms.

-1

They are creepy and I don't like the taste too, but just know that they are an important part of nature for reasons someone else can explain better

6
lemmy.world

Well, it's wild, but there's not a lot of fuck in it.

7
lemmy.world

In stasis, it bends but won't break us
Aurelia, majestic as a lion's roar embodies her
Terranean, threaten and shield us
Endanger, recoil and rewind the tapes
She's born again
[...]
Medusa, a haunting allure
Elusive ectoplasmic residue
She'll dance for you
Inducing hydro-cosmic dreams in you
Of eternal blue

7
prolereply
lemmy.blahaj.zone

I've never read this, and I don't know if it's even a song or a poem or what... and yet somehow, I get the feeling that they're lyrics to a TOOL song.

3
lemmy.world

Haken - sempiternal beings I had to look it up cause I was 100% with you on thinking TOOL.

5
lemmy.world

I don’t believe any single part of this, it just can’t be true

5

the more you learn about how different species work the more your current worldview absolutely crumbles into dust and you see reality for the lawless mess that it is.

Barnacles are crustaceans, if you slice one in half you see that it's a fucked up deformed crayfish sitting inside the shell.

8

They also track sunlight so you can predict where they will be at certain times in areas with shade. Example: more likely to be closer to eastern shores in the mornings, further out at night.

5