Cotylorhiza tuberculata

Species of jellyfish

Cotylorhiza tuberculata is a species of jellyfish of the phylum Cnidaria, also known as the Mediterranean jellyfish, Mediterranean jelly, or fried egg jellyfish. It is commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, and Adriatic Sea.

C. tuberculata are the most common jellyfish of their entire order in the Mediterranean Sea. They experience an annual life cycle marked by summer population blooms, which is likely an adaptive result of the strong seasonal changes in their Mediterranean environment. Their phases of development are quite similar to that of their other jellyfish counterparts. C. tuberculatas four main stages of growth include the swimming larvae known as planulae; younger, sessile polyps called scyphistomae; the undeveloped young adult intermediates known as ephyrae; and the adult jellyfish forms, called medusas. In a given year, planulae are present from August to November, scyphistomae are present perennially, ephyrae can be seen from May to August, and medusa are prominent from July to November. Planulae use their small cilia to propel them through the water, eventually settling on a hard sediment on which they develop into their polyp form. The scyphistomae acquire their photosynthetic algae symbionts during their preliminary development phase, although the mechanism for this is still unclear. These microorganisms live primarily in the mesoglea and lining of the cnidarian's gastrovascular system, bolstering oxygen production, and remain with the jellyfish for the rest of their lifespans. The polyps also undergo asexual reproduction to create more polyps;

One of the main issues created by annual blooms of C. tuberculata is an interference with human recreational and financial activities. The usual water related activities of tourism, in addition to more commercial activities such as fishing, are often disrupted due to the sheer number of jellyfish in the waters. This often results in the removal of thousands of Mediterranean jellies from the waters by coastal officials in the summers by fishing boats or large nets. Another possibility raised by the prevalence of jellyfish, however, is their usefulness to humankind. C. tuberculata have been studied due to their specified cytotoxicity in regards to certain breast cancer cells, which is made possible due to the organism's efficient intercellular gap junction communication. While further studies have been proposed to further research jellies' cytotoxicity in targeting breast cancer, there still is not much investigation on the topic. Since a main objective in cancer research is to create treatments that selectively kill malignant cells while leaving healthy ones intact, Cotylhoriza tuberculata may become a model organism for the treatment of those human ailments.