The Fascinating World of Cnidarians

The phylum Cnidaria contains such creatures as jellyfish, anemones, siphonophores and corals. Together, they consist of around 13,000 living species - surprisingly simple, yet beautiful organisms. The importance of these cnidarians cannot be understated. Coral reefs are formed of many millions of cnidarians and are home to staggering biodiversity. Jellyfish are important predators in the open ocean food web, but they serve as food for many other species as well. Sea anemones fulfil a similar role but in the shallows, also serving as hiding places for clownfish. Thus, this unique and abundant group of creatures is integral to the function of many marine communities, from the open ocean to coasts and the benthic zone of the deep sea. 00:00 - An Introduction to Cnidarians 01:04 - The Structure of Cnidarians 01:57 - Cnidarian Polyps 02:09 - Cnidarian Medusae 02:19 - The Life Cycle of Moon Jellyfish 03:10 - The Diversity of Jellyfish 03:23 - The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish 03:39 - The Role of Cnidarians in the Food Web 04:29 - Nematocysts Explained 05:13 - The Portugese Man-o-War 06:18 - Colony Organisms: Siphonophores 06:37 - Colony Organisms: Corals 06:54 - The Importance of Corals 07:33 - Symbiosis in Corals: Zooxanthellae 08:23 - Symbiosis in Anemones: Crabs 08:49 - Symbiosis in Anemones: Reef Fish 09:12 - Symbiosis in Medusae 09:27 - The Importance of Cnidarians 09:55 - Conclusion 10:31 - The Deep Sea Hub DEEP SEA HUB: Footage used is from YouTube, MBARI, OceanX, NatGeo, the Ocean Exploration Institute and the Schmidt Ocean Institute, as well as other sources. Music Used: First Immersion by Simon Chylinksi (from the game Subnautica) Violet Beau by Simon Chylinksi (from the game Subnautica) Music: Deep - SergePavkinMusic Music Link: ​ Cipher by LEMMiNO Siberian by LEMMiNO #deepsea #wildlife #nature #documentary #ocean #marinebiology #science #biology Resources: #ref31893