Sleepless To The Sextreme: Polygynous Snoozers Make Reproductive Losers…  The phrase “You snooze, you lose” takes on a whole new magnitude when it comes to male Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos). These polygynous birds, who mate and nest on the barren tundra of Alaska during the almost 24-hour daylight days of May and June, have been found to have much greater luck with the ladies if they downgrade their dozing times. Researchers from the Avian Sleep Group at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, after noticing unexpectedly high levels of activity among the males of their study group near Barrow, conducted DNA analysis of the chicks to determine, essentially, who’s the daddy? The data showed that the individuals that were the most active - up to 95% of 24 hours - sired the most young, despite getting hardly any sleep over a period of weeks. Oh well, no rest for the wicked, eh? ***Sigh***… Read the BBC report on these sandpiper shenanigans here Read the New Scientist report here Who’s the Daddy? Really wanna know? Find out here
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Sleepless To The Sextreme: Polygynous Snoozers Make Reproductive Losers…  The phrase “You snooze, you lose” takes on a whole new magnitude when it comes to male Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos). These polygynous birds, who mate and nest on the barren tundra of Alaska during the almost 24-hour daylight days of May and June, have been found to have much greater luck with the ladies if they downgrade their dozing times. Researchers from the Avian Sleep Group at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, after noticing unexpectedly high levels of activity among the males of their study group near Barrow, conducted DNA analysis of the chicks to determine, essentially, who’s the daddy? The data showed that the individuals that were the most active - up to 95% of 24 hours - sired the most young, despite getting hardly any sleep over a period of weeks. Oh well, no rest for the wicked, eh? ***Sigh***… Read the BBC report on these sandpiper shenanigans here Read the New Scientist report here Who’s the Daddy? Really wanna know? Find out here
Zoom Info
Sleepless To The Sextreme: Polygynous Snoozers Make Reproductive Losers…  The phrase “You snooze, you lose” takes on a whole new magnitude when it comes to male Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos). These polygynous birds, who mate and nest on the barren tundra of Alaska during the almost 24-hour daylight days of May and June, have been found to have much greater luck with the ladies if they downgrade their dozing times. Researchers from the Avian Sleep Group at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, after noticing unexpectedly high levels of activity among the males of their study group near Barrow, conducted DNA analysis of the chicks to determine, essentially, who’s the daddy? The data showed that the individuals that were the most active - up to 95% of 24 hours - sired the most young, despite getting hardly any sleep over a period of weeks. Oh well, no rest for the wicked, eh? ***Sigh***… Read the BBC report on these sandpiper shenanigans here Read the New Scientist report here Who’s the Daddy? Really wanna know? Find out here
Zoom Info

Sleepless To The Sextreme: Polygynous Snoozers Make Reproductive Losers… 

The phrase “You snooze, you lose” takes on a whole new magnitude when it comes to male Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos). These polygynous birds, who mate and nest on the barren tundra of Alaska during the almost 24-hour daylight days of May and June, have been found to have much greater luck with the ladies if they downgrade their dozing times.

Researchers from the Avian Sleep Group at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, after noticing unexpectedly high levels of activity among the males of their study group near Barrow, conducted DNA analysis of the chicks to determine, essentially, who’s the daddy? The data showed that the individuals that were the most active - up to 95% of 24 hours - sired the most young, despite getting hardly any sleep over a period of weeks.

Oh well, no rest for the wicked, eh? ***Sigh***…


  • Read the BBC report on these sandpiper shenanigans here
  • Read the New Scientist report here
  • Who’s the Daddy? Really wanna know? Find out here
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
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Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info
Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages. To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.
Zoom Info

Moonlighting: Throwing Some New Light on the Life Cycle of the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)

Jellyfish have incredibly complex life cycles, involving many different stages during which they look nothing like the typical domed creatures we are so familiar with. Staff from the aquarium at the Horniman Museum and Gardens have been conducting research into the reproduction and development of Moon Jellyfish and have recently released a paper* on the topic along with these remarkable images charting the various developmental stages.

  • To read more detailed descriptions of the life cycle stages see here
  • *Craggs, J. & Robson, J. (2012). Observations of the life cycle of the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita at the Horniman Museum Aquarium. Quekett Journal of Microscopy, 41, 615-621.

Source: notcot.com

Schleiden M. J. “Die Entwicklung der Meduse”. In: “Das Meer”. Verlag und Druck A. Sacco Nachf., Berlin, 1869. Life Cycle of Scyphozoan Jellyfishes: 1-8 – planula attachment and metamorphosis to scyphistoma stage; 9-10 – scyphistoma strobilation; 11 – ephyra release; 12-14 – transformation of the ephyra into an adult medusa Author: Matthias Jacob Schleiden (1804-1881) Source: NOAA photo library Jellyfish reproduce both sexually and asexually. Upon reaching adult size, jellyfish spawn daily if there is enough food. In most species, spawning is controlled by light, so the entire population spawns at about the same time of day, often at either dusk or dawn. Jellyfish are usually either male or female (hermaphroditic specimens are occasionally found). In most cases, adults release sperm and eggs into the surrounding water, where the (unprotected) eggs are fertilized and mature into new organisms. In a few species, the sperm swim into the female’s mouth fertilizing the eggs within the female’s body where they remain during early development stages. In moon jellies, the eggs lodge in pits on the oral arms, which form a temporary brood chamber for the developing planula larvae. After a growth interval, the polyp begins reproducing asexually by budding and, in the Scyphozoa, is called a segmenting polyp, or a scyphistoma. New scyphistomae may be produced by budding or form new, immature jellies called ephyrae. A few jellyfish species can produce new medusae by budding directly from the medusan stage. Budding sites vary by species; from the tentacle bulbs, the manubrium (above the mouth), or the gonads of hydromedusae. A few species of hydromedusae reproduce by fission (splitting in half). In the second stage, the tiny polyps asexually produce jellyfish, each of which is also known as a medusa. Tiny jellyfish (usually only a millimeter or two across) swim away from the polyp and then grow and feed in the plankton. Medusae have a radially symmetric, umbrella-shaped body called a bell, which is usually supplied with marginal tentacles - fringe-like protrusions from the bell’s border that capture prey. A few species of jellyfish do not have the polyp portion of the life cycle, but go from jellyfish to the next generation of jellyfish through direct development of fertilized eggs. Most jellyfish have a second stage to their life cycle, the planula larvae phase, following the initial egg and sperm phase. Although this is a short lived stage for jellyfish, it is an important phase when the fertilized eggs that had previously undergone embryonic development, hatch, and planulae emerge from the females mouth or brood pouch and are off on their own.                                                                              - From Wikipedia: Jellyfish
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Schleiden M. J. “Die Entwicklung der Meduse”. In: “Das Meer”. Verlag und Druck A. Sacco Nachf., Berlin, 1869.

Life Cycle of Scyphozoan Jellyfishes: 1-8 – planula attachment and metamorphosis to scyphistoma stage; 9-10 – scyphistoma strobilation; 11 – ephyra release; 12-14 – transformation of the ephyra into an adult medusa

Author: Matthias Jacob Schleiden (1804-1881)

Source: NOAA photo library

Jellyfish reproduce both sexually and asexually. Upon reaching adult size, jellyfish spawn daily if there is enough food. In most species, spawning is controlled by light, so the entire population spawns at about the same time of day, often at either dusk or dawn. Jellyfish are usually either male or female (hermaphroditic specimens are occasionally found).

In most cases, adults release sperm and eggs into the surrounding water, where the (unprotected) eggs are fertilized and mature into new organisms. In a few species, the sperm swim into the female’s mouth fertilizing the eggs within the female’s body where they remain during early development stages. In moon jellies, the eggs lodge in pits on the oral arms, which form a temporary brood chamber for the developing planula larvae.

After a growth interval, the polyp begins reproducing asexually by budding and, in the Scyphozoa, is called a segmenting polyp, or a scyphistoma. New scyphistomae may be produced by budding or form new, immature jellies called ephyrae. A few jellyfish species can produce new medusae by budding directly from the medusan stage. Budding sites vary by species; from the tentacle bulbs, the manubrium (above the mouth), or the gonads of hydromedusae. A few species of hydromedusae reproduce by fission (splitting in half).

In the second stage, the tiny polyps asexually produce jellyfish, each of which is also known as a medusa. Tiny jellyfish (usually only a millimeter or two across) swim away from the polyp and then grow and feed in the plankton. Medusae have a radially symmetric, umbrella-shaped body called a bell, which is usually supplied with marginal tentacles - fringe-like protrusions from the bell’s border that capture prey. A few species of jellyfish do not have the polyp portion of the life cycle, but go from jellyfish to the next generation of jellyfish through direct development of fertilized eggs.

Most jellyfish have a second stage to their life cycle, the planula larvae phase, following the initial egg and sperm phase. Although this is a short lived stage for jellyfish, it is an important phase when the fertilized eggs that had previously undergone embryonic development, hatch, and planulae emerge from the females mouth or brood pouch and are off on their own.

                                                                             - From Wikipedia: Jellyfish