Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Nematocyst (ejected tubule) from a tentacle of the box jellyfish (Carybdea alata). This box jellyfish b
Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Nematocyst (ejected tubule) from a tentacle of the box jellyfish (Carybdea alata). This box jellyfish belongs to the Cubozoa group of Cnidarians. The larval stage of Cnidarians is called the planula and it is a free swimming developmental stage. Cubozoan planulae are pear-shaped, have pigment spots that may be sensitive to light, and swim for a few days using cilia. After a planula settles, it grows into a polyp. The cubozoan polyp can crawl around and bud off more polyps. Like all cnidarians, cubozoans possess nematocysts, cells that fire a barb and transfer venom. When a nematocyst contacts something that might be prey or predator, the barb uncoils and fires from the capsule along with toxic venom. Magnification x260 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres.
Size: 3302px × 2646px
Photo credit: © DENNIS KUNKEL MICROSCOPY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 98608c, alata, alatina, alatinidae, aquatic, box, carybdea, carybdeida, cell, cells, cnidaria, cnidarian, coelenterate, colored, coloured, cubozoa, electron, false-colored, false-coloured, fish, invertebrate, invertebrates, jelly, jellyfish, marine, micrograph, nematocyst, nematocysts, plankton, planula, planulae, polyp, salt, saltwater, scanning, sea, seawater, sem, stinging, tentacle, toxin, tubule, water, zooplankton
