Mnemiopsis

                                        MNEMIOPSIS			DESCRIPTION:  The genus Mnemiopsis belongs to the ctenophore phylum.  In general its body is oval shaped and transparent.  This animal has four rows of ciliated combs.  It's often called Comb Jelly.  The ciliated combs run along the body vertically and glow green when disturbed at night.  They have several feeding tentacles.  Mnemiopsis don't sting.  Their tentacles get up to several yards in length.  Its body contains 97% water.  The maximum length of its body is 60mm.  

REPRODUCTION & GROWTH: The Mnemiopsis is self-fertilizing. That means that one individual can make a new population. Eggs and sperm are released into the external area for fertilizing to begin. It contains gonads which contain the ovary and spermatophore bunches in their gastrodermis. This animal carries 150 eggs along each meridional canal. The spawning is started at late evening or at 1:00 or 2:00a.m. The spawning eggs develop a thick cover within 1 minute after touching the seawater. Between 2 to 8,000 eggs are produced from large specimens during the spawning. When it reaches 15mm in length, it starts to produce eggs. 20-30mm is the largest size of reproducing Mnemiopsis. HABITAT: Mnemiopsis is mostly found in areas of brackish water. It can tolerate a lot of salinity, tempertures, and water quality. Mnemiopsis appear in the Chesapeake Bay August-September. FEEDING: Mnemiopsis is a carnivore that consumes copepods, larvae, and fish eggs. It sometimes even eats its own phylum. It also has many predators that consume it. Many are vertebrates including species of birds and fish. Some predators are jelly animals such as cnidarians and other ctenophore species including sea jellies.