Curious About Jellyfish

PODCAST 168: CURIOUS ABOUT JELLYFISH

RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 19TH, 2021

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  YOU LOVE GOING TO THE BEACH.  SO DOES YOUR BROTHER NOAH.  YOUR MOMMY ALSO LOVES GOING TO THE BEACH.

O:  YOU AREN’T A BIG FAN OF THE BEACH.

D:  THAT’S TRUE.  I WOULD TAKE A DAY AT THE POOL OVER A BEACH DAY FOR SURE.  ONE REASON I’D PREFER TO LOUNGE AT THE POOL INSTEAD OF THE BEACH IS BECAUSE I KNOW I WOULDN’T COME ACROSS THE SUBJECT OF TODAY’S EPISODE IF I’M AT THE POOL.

O:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“HI.  I’M MADISON AND I’M 6 YEARS OLD.  I LIVE IN PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  I LISTEN TO IT EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED.  I LOVE ANIMALS.  I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A PODCAST ABOUT JELLYFISH.  KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

MADISON”

“DEAR JACOB AND OLIVIA,

MY SON BRANDON AND I ARE LISTENING FROM BONDI, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.  WE LOVE YOUR SHOW AND LISTEN TO YOU GUYS IN THE CAR AND ALSO BEFORE WE SLEEP.  GREAT JOB ON YOUR PODCAST.  WE LOVE SHARING THE PODCAST WITH OUR FRIENDS.  BRANDON HAS LEARNED SO MANY THINGS AND LOVES YOUR LONG HELLOOOOOOOOOO!  AND OLIVIA’S MAILBAAAAAAG!  WE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT IPADS AND JELLYFISH/ANEMONES.  WE ARE HOPING YOU COULD DO AN EPISODE ON THESE TOPICS.  MANY THANKS AND VIRTUAL HUGS,

BRANDON”

O:  THANKS SO MUCH FOR LETTING US KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT JELLYFISH THIS WEEK FOR MADISON AND BRANDON.

D:  I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS EPISODE, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT JELLYFISH BESIDES THE FACT THAT THEY CAN STING AND THEIR STINGS DON’T FEEL TOO GOOD.  HOPEFULLY, LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEM WILL GIVE ME OTHER, BETTER THINGS TO KNOW THEM FOR.

O:  THERE IS WAY MORE TO JELLYFISH THAN THE FACT THAT THEY CAN STING.  LET’S LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FASCINATING CREATURES.

D:  GREAT IDEA.  WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS A GROUP OF JELLYFISH CALLED?  

D:  FUN ONE.  THERE ARE ACTUALLY 3 CORRECT ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION, SO WHY DON’T YOU TAKE A GUESS WHAT A GROUP OF JELLYFISH IS CALLED AND YOU’LL FIND OUT THE ANSWERS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES?

LET’S START THE LEARNING OFF WITH A FUN FACT.  DESPITE BEING CALLED JELLYFISH, JELLYFISH AREN’T REALLY FISH AT ALL.

O:  FISH ARE VERTEBRATES, MEANING THAT THEY HAVE A BACKBONE.  FISH ALSO BREATHE THROUGH THEIR GILLS.  JELLYFISH, ON THE OTHER HAND ARE INVERTEBRATES.  THEY DON’T HAVE A BACKBONE.  THEY BREATHE BY ABSORBING OXYGEN FROM WATER.  SO, IF JELLYFISH AREN’T FISH, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY?

D:  JELLYFISH ARE PLANKTON.  LIKE OTHER PLANKTON, JELLYFISH ARE NOT STRONG SWIMMERS.  THEY RELY ON OCEAN CURRENTS TO GET AROUND.  SOME OF THEIR CLOSE RELATIVES INCLUDE CORALS, SEA ANEMONES, AND THE FEARED PORTUGUESE MAN-O-WAR.

O:  JELLYFISH CAN BE TEENY TINY, GIGANTIC, OR ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.

D:  GET THIS.  THE SMALLEST JELLYFISH ARE PRACTICALLY INVISIBLE.  THEIR BELL DISKS CAN HAVE A DIAMETER OF JUST A HALF A MILLIMETER.  THE WORLD’S LONGEST JELLYFISH MIGHT BE THE LION’S MANE JELLYFISH.  THEIR TENTACLES CAN BE AS LONG AS 120 FEET.  WOWSERS.  THE LARGEST JELLYFISH MIGHT JUST BE NOMURA’S JELLYFISH.  THEIR BELL DIAMETER CAN BE WELL OVER 6 FEET AND THESE MASSIVE JELLYFISH CAN WEIGH AS MUCH AS 440 POUNDS.  A JELLYFISH BIGGER THAN A HUMAN.  UNBELIEVABLE!

O:  JELLYFISH ARE BELL-SHAPED AND THEY ARE TRANSPARENT, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THEIR BODIES.  

D:  THEY ARE MADE OF ABOUT 98% WATER.  THEIR BODIES DON’T HAVE ORGANS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO HUMANS, LIKE A BRAIN OR HEART.  THEY ALSO DON’T HAVE BONES.  THE BODY OF A JELLYFISH HAS 6 BASIC PARTS.

O:  THE INNER LAYER IS CALLED THE GASTRODERMIS.  THE OUTER LAYER IS CALLED THE EPIDERMIS.

D:  IN BETWEEN, YOU HAVE THE MIDDLE JELLY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MESOGLEA.  DIGESTION TAKES PLACE IN THE GASTROVASCULAR CAVITY.  JELLYFISH HAVE A HOLE, OR ORIFICE, THAT ACTS AS BOTH THE MOUTH AND ANUS.  

O:  THAT MEANS THAT JELLYFISH EAT AND POOP USING THE SAME HOLE.

D:  YES, THAT’S STRANGE BUT TRUE.  LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, JELLYFISH HAVE TENTACLES.

O:  JELLYFISH STING THEIR PREY USING THEIR TENTACLES.

D:  THEIR TENTACLES HAVE THESE TINY THINGS CALLED NEMATOCYSTS THAT HAVE STINGERS ON THEM.  THOSE STINGERS SPRING INTO ACTION WHEN JELLYFISH STING THEIR PREY.  MANY JELLYFISH ARE PRETTY HARMLESS, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE STINGS THAT ARE VERY VENOMOUS.  A STING FROM A JELLYFISH CAN CAUSE A RASH AND BE PAINFUL, BUT MOST JELLYFISH STINGS WON’T RESULT IN MORE THAN THAT.  THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF JELLYFISH THAT HAVE STINGS THAT CAN BE MORE PROBLEMATIC AND WOULD REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION, INCLUDING THE VERY VENOMOUS BOX JELLYFISH.  SO, WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU GET STUNG BY A JELLYFISH?

O:  FIRST THINGS FIRST, GET OUT OF THE WATER.

D:  IF POSSIBLE, REMOVE THE TENTACLES, PREFERABLY WITH TWEEZERS.  RINSE THE AREA WITH VINEGAR FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS.  DO NOT APPLY THINGS LIKE MEAT TENDERIZER, ALCOHOL, OR URINE.  THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED FOR TREATING JELLYFISH STINGS, BUT ACTUALLY DON’T HELP, OR ARE UNPROVEN AT BEST.  

O:  ONCE THE TENTACLES ARE REMOVED, SOAK THE SKIN IN HOT WATER.  IT SHOULD BE HOT, BUT NOT SCALDING.  ABOUT 110 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.  CONTINUE SOAKING THE AREA FOR ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 40 MINUTES.

D:  DO NOT RUB THE AREA WITH A TOWEL OR APPLY BANDAGES.  JELLYFISH STINGS USUALLY WON’T REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION FROM A DOCTOR, BUT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.  AN ALLERGIC REACTION, A STING FROM A BOX JELLYFISH, OR A STING THAT COVERS A VERY LARGE AREA SHOULD ALWAYS GET MEDICAL ATTENTION FROM A PROFESSIONAL.    

O:  THANKFULLY, JELLYFISH AREN’T INTERESTED IN STINGING HUMANS.  THEY ARE CARNIVORES AND EAT MEAT, SO THEY WANT TO STING ANIMALS TO EAT.  SMALL JELLYFISH EAT OTHER PLANKTON AND ALGAE.  THE BIGGER JELLYFISH ENJOY LARGER MEALS LIKE CRUSTACEANS, INCLUDING SHRIMP.

D:  THERE ARE ALSO ANIMALS THAT ENJOY EATING JELLYFISH.  WHO WOULD WANT TO EAT AN ANIMAL THAT’S BASICALLY ALL WATER?  WELL, I’LL TELL YOU WHO.  LEATHERBACK TURTLES AND SUNFISH LOVE EATING JELLYFISH, AND EAT HUNDREDS OF THEM DAILY.  HERE’S SOMETHING THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.  HUMANS OCCASIONALLY EAT JELLYFISH TOO, AS JELLYFISH ARE A DELICACY IN PLACES LIKE JAPAN AND KOREA.  

O:  THAT’S AN INTERESTING FACT, BUT THIS NEXT FACT MIGHT BLOW THAT ONE OUT OF THE WATER.  JELLYFISH HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AT LEAST 500 MILLION YEARS.

D:  SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT JELLYFISH HAVE BEEN INHABITING THE WORLD’S OCEANS FOR ANYWHERE FROM 500 TO 700 MILLION YEARS.  THAT MEANS THAT THEY WERE AROUND BEFORE DINOSAURS… WAY BEFORE DINOSAURS. 

OKAY OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  SOME GROUPS OF ANIMALS HAVE FUN NAMES.  A GROUP OF APES IS CALLED A SHREWDNESS.  A GROUP OF BATS IS CALLED A CAULDRON… SPOOKY.  A GROUP OF CATERPILLARS IS CALLED AN ARMY.  WELL, GUESS WHAT?  A GROUP OF JELLYFISH CAN GO BY ANY OF THREE FUN NAMES.  WHAT DO YOU CALL A GROUP OF JELLYFISH?

O:  A GROUP OF JELLYFISH CAN BE CALLED A BLOOM, A SWARM, OR MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, A SMACK.  

D:  THAT’S AWESOME.  A SMACK IS ALSO MY FAVORITE.  A BLOOM MAKES ME THINK MORE OF FLOWERS, AND A SWARM SOUNDS PRETTY THREATENING, BUT A SMACK IS A FUNNY NAME FOR A GROUP OF JELLYFISH.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TO THANK.  

O:  THANKS TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTER, ISABELLA L.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO ISABELLA FOR SUPPORTING THE PODCAST.  WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND WE HOPE YOU’RE ENJOYING ALL THE GREAT EXTRAS YOU GET AS A CKP SUPPORTER.  

O:  THANK YOU TO USERNAME PUNKADIDO FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “HI OLIVIA AND JACOB, MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND 3 YEAR OLD SON LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  IT IS THE PERFECT LENGTH TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED DURING ROAD TRIPS, AND THEY LOVE LEARNING ABOUT LOTS OF NEW AND INTERESTING TOPICS.  KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!”

O:  THAT WAS AWESOME!  WE ALSO WANT TO WISH ALL OF OUR LISTENERS A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.  

D:  WE HOPE EVERYONE GETS TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND EVERYONE THEY LOVE.  IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE PODCAST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, IT WOULD MEAN SO MUCH TO US IF YOU SHARE THE PODCAST WITH YOUR FRIENDS, LEAVE US A REVIEW, SUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON, OR BUY THE SWEET NEW MERCHANDISE AT OUR MERCH SHOP WITH THE BRAND NEW LOGO CREATED BY OLIVIA HERSELF.  YOU CAN FIND LINKS TO OUR PATREON AND MERCH SHOP PAGES IN THE EPISODE NOTES.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  168 - JELLYFISH

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB MADISON AND BRANDON FOR THE GELATINOUS AND APPARENTLY EDIBLE EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT CACTUSES, OR CACTI, OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO SAY THE PLURAL OF CACTUS, FOR LISTENERS IN CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA, WHICH JUST HAPPEN TO BE 2 STATES THAT HAVE TONS OF CACTUSES.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!  SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.