Like Medusa's Hair.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 6

Like Medusa's Hair.

Nature Notes.

By

James Drummond,

F.L.S., F.Z.S.

TT MAY BE that the most beautiful forms of jelly-fishes are not found in New Zealand waters. Their dominant tint is a pale milky blue; but some are pure blue, some are green, some are red, some are yellow, some are brown, some are violet and some are purple. One of the most beautiful and attractive forms, delicate violet in colour, with darker tentacles and an elaborate pattern of markings, W as dredged from a great depth in the ocean off the New Zealand coast during the voyage of the Challenger, a scientific exploring vessel that sailed the Pacific Ocean years ago and collected a vast quantity of knowledge about creatures that live in the sea. The body in some forms of jelly-fishes resembles an umbrella, a bell, or a parachute. Hanging on to the edge of this there are many long tentacles, equipped with stinging organs. The tentacles sometimes are in the form of corkscrew curls. These suggested to zoologists the horrid Gorgon, Medusa, whose hair was turned into writhing snakes, and whom Perseus killed by cutting off her head. For this reason, these jelly-fishes are called the Medusa. The tentacles are not mere ornaments. They are used for capturing small fishes and other prey, which are paralysed when they come into contact with the tentacles, are held firmly by barbed threads sent cut from the stinging organs, and are drawn into the mouth by contraction of the tentacles. There are jelly-fishes with bodies constructed in the shapes of saucers, cups or thimbles. There may be many tentacles, or only a few, or none Internally, a jellyfish is constructed on a simple plan, but the details often are complicated.