JELLYFISHES
Jellyfish are ancient, gelatinous marine animals known for their umbrella-like shape and stinging tentacles. They are invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and have been drifting through Earth’s oceans for over 500 million years—longer than dinosaurs!
| Phylum: Cnidaria |
| Class: Mostly Scyphozoa (true jellyfish), also Cubozoa (box jellies), Hydrozoa, etc. |
| Order: Decapoda |
| Habitat: All ocean zones, mostly epipelagic, but some deep-sea |
| Body structure: Soft, gelatinous, bell-shaped with trailing tentacles |