Mnemiopsis
Mnemiopsis is a genus of ctenophores (comb jellies).
The body is oval shaped and transparent, with four rows of ciliated combs that 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.
Mnemiopsis is a carnivore that consumes copepods, larvae, and fish eggs. It sometimes even eats its own kind. 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.
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 Chesapeake Bay August-September.
