1. another name for jellyfish (sense 1), jellyfish (sense 2)
2. Also called: medusoid, medusan
one of the two forms in which a coelenterate exists. It has a jelly-like umbrella-shaped body, is free swimming, and produces gametes
Compare polyp
Derived forms
medusan (meˈdusan) or medusal (meˈdusal)
adjective
Word origin
C18: from the likeness of its tentacles to the snaky locks of Medusa
Examples of 'medusae' in a sentence
medusae
In recent years, however, the ecological importance of jellyfish medusae has become widely recognized.
Elena Eriksen, Dmitry Prozorkevich, Aleksandr Trofimov, Daniel Howell 2012, 'Biomass of Scyphozoan Jellyfish, and Its Spatial Association with 0-Group Fish inthe Barents Sea', PLoS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0033050. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Medusae can be conspicuous and abundant members of seafloor communities in deep-sea benthic boundary layers.
Laura J. Grange, Craig R. Smith, Dhugal J. Lindsay, Bastian Bentlage, Marsh J. Youngbluth 2017, 'High Abundance of the Epibenthic Trachymedusa Ptychogastria polaris Allman, 1878 (Hydrozoa,Trachylina) in Subpolar Fjords along the West Antarctic Peninsula', PLOS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0168648. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Morphologies of the adults and immature growth stages of medusae of both species are described.
John T. Rees, Lisa-Ann Gershwin 2000, 'Non-indigenous hydromedusae in California's upper San Francisco Esturary: life cycles,distribution, and potential environmental impacts', Scientia Marinahttp://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/794. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The medusae were shown to be sensitive to the variations of osmotic pressure.
Yuan-Wei ZHANG, Xiao-Fu PAN, Xiao-Ai WANG, Wan-Sheng JIANG, Qian LIU, Jun-Xing YANG 2016, 'Effects of osmotic pressure, temperature and stocking density on survival and sexualreproduction of Craspedacusta sowerbii', Zoological Researchhttp://www.zoores.ac.cn/EN/abstract/abstract3712.shtml. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Medusae were associated with eelgrass meadows in all cases.
Mary R. Carman, David W. Grunden, Emily Reddington, Annette F. Govindarajan 2019, 'Distribution of the highly toxic clinging jellyfish Gonionemus sp. around the islandof Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA', Marine Biodiversity Recordshttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41200-019-0166-5. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The salinity and temperature tolerances of some species of medusae were studied in the laboratory.
Glória Soares Moreira 1978, 'A preliminary laboratory study on the salinity and temperature tolerances of somemedusae from the São Paulo coast, Brazil', Brazilian Journal of Oceanographyhttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-87591978000200002. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
However, newly-formed medusae died within one month and none grew a diameter of >5 mm.
Yuan-Wei ZHANG, Xiao-Fu PAN, Xiao-Ai WANG, Wan-Sheng JIANG, Qian LIU, Jun-Xing YANG 2016, 'Effects of osmotic pressure, temperature and stocking density on survival and sexualreproduction of Craspedacusta sowerbii', Zoological Researchhttp://www.zoores.ac.cn/EN/abstract/abstract3712.shtml. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Throughout the period of investigation, only the medusae stages were observed.
Jakovčev-Todorović Dunja, Đikanović Vesna, Skorić S., Cakić P. 2010, 'Freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyi Lankester, 1880 (Hydrozoa, Olindiidae):50 years' observations in Serbia', Archives of Biological Scienceshttp://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0354-4664/2010/0354-46641001123J.pdf. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Young medusae are liberated with the typical 16 exumbrellar nematocyst patches.
Anita Brinckmann-Voss 2000, 'The hydroid and medusa of Sarsia bella sp. nov. (Hydrozoa, Anthoathecatae,Corynidae), with a correction of the life cycle of Polyorchis penicillatus(Eschscholtz)', Scientia Marinahttp://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/808. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)