Photo of the day

Did you know that “mangrove” jellyfish spend much of their time upside down? The curiously formed Cassiopea has a symbiotic relationship with a type of photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, that lives in its tissue and oral arms, creating a typically green, gray, or blue pigment. In return for a safe “mobile” home, the zooxanthellae help the jellyfish fulfill 90% of their nutritional needs (with the remaining 10% met by feeding on zooplankton stunned with stinging cells). The jellyfish naturally optimize light absorption by moving glibly upside down and sticking to shallow mangrove waters, making it easier for the algae to seek out sunlight to fuel photosynthesis 🌱 🌞