Here to determine the Top Animal of Tumblr! My name is Sarita! My other blogs are: @SaritaZoo - Zoology-posting @SaritaWolf - photography @SaritaPaleo - Paleoart @SaritaWolff - General + Art This tournament takes a lot of time and effort, and tips are much appreciated! (Ko-fi link in pinned post)
~ Round 3 has ended; winning orders listed here! Round 3.5 is currently in the planning stage. ~
On a quest to find Tumblr’s favorite animal!
(Pictured is my personal favorite animal: the bearded vulture! Photo was taken by me… if you want to see more I post my photography on my instagram: SaritaWolf ;P)
Ever wondered how your favorite animal stacks up against other people’s favorites? Well you’ve come to the right place!
Here’s how this will work…
Polls will be ranked like so:
My fav is in this group!/This is one of my favorite animals!
I love these/this animal(s)
I like these/this animal(s)
I am neutral about these/this animal(s)
I dislike these/this animal(s)
I hate these/this animal(s)
If an animal is your favorite, it receives 5 points
If you love an animal, it receives 3 points
If you like an animal, it receives 1 point
If you are neutral about an animal, no points are added or subtracted to its ranking
If you dislike an animal, 1 point will be taken away
If you hate an animal, 3 points will be taken away
Note: As of Round 3, the hate option has been removed.
At the end of a polling period, that animal’s points will be its rank.
The top 20 or 50 or 100 or whatever (number to be decided on at a later date) will move on to the next round!
Polls will be open for 7 days
Since it’s not very feasible for me to make 1.5 million polls for every known species of animal, the first round of polls will be by Phylum, the next round will be by Class, then Order, then Family, then Genus, and then Species.
If you want your favs to make it to the top, make sure you know what group they’re in! This can be found via a quick Wikipedia search and a look-see right here (using the bearded vulture as an example):
The Bearded Vulture is in the Phylum Chordata, the Class Aves/Reptilia, the Order Accipitriformes, and the Genus Gypaetus, so now I know to vote for that group as my favorite when it comes up!
The top ranked Phyla will move on to the next round, where they will then be split into Classes, and Round 2 will begin.
Round 3 will take the winning classes and split them by Order, then follow the same pattern.
Round 4 will take the winning orders and split them by Family, then follow the same pattern.
Round 5 will take the winning families and split them by Genus, then follow the same pattern.
Round 6 will take the winning genera and split them by Species, then follow the same pattern.
The Ultimate Round will pit the top 20/50/100 (number also to be decided at a later date) species against each other.
If no clear photos exist of a species, preferably in situ, it will not be included in the polls. (So, if you’re a scientist who just discovered a new moth and it’s your favorite animal you better get those photos on iNaturalist quick)
You can have multiple favorites, I am not keeping track of that, but I do ask that you answer honestly!
I will add a bit of propaganda under a cut on each poll, but please feel free to reblog polls and add your own! If you want your fav(s) to win, these polls need to be seen by lots of people!
I do encourage people to not vote blindly. Look at the photos, read the propaganda, maybe even do your own research before you decide how you feel about an animal!
And lastly, please keep things civil! We all have different tastes and someone hating your fav is not a personal affront against you!
That being said, we do not “Kill it with fire” here. It’s ok to not like an animal, but we do not tolerate people calling for violence against a species or wishing a whole species extinct.
Important Tags:
#Animal Polls: All main polls
#Poll Results: Completed polls will be reblogged along with their calculated ranking
#Special Poll: Any extra polls
#Extra Propaganda: Any reblogged propaganda added by voters, or reblogs featuring the animals in the poll of the day
#Statistics: A stats post will be posted after each round
#Asks: For any responses to asks (my askbox is open!)
#FAQ: For questions that may come up often
#Extras: For any announcement posts, reblogs, etc
If you are enjoying the tournament and would like to leave a tip through Ko-fi, it would be much appreciated!
I’m very sorry that it’s taken so long to get to Round 3.5 but I just want to let y’all know that I am alive and it is still coming it’s just coming slower than I thought. 🥲
Because of the nature of how I’m going to be doing this round (see previous update post) it’s taking a lot more work beforehand, and I ended up getting super bogged down, then got burnt out, had to get through some other projects and personal things and put it aside for a bit, but now I’m back to working on it again. The biggest slog was getting through Hymenoptera. The next big hump will be getting through Lepidoptera. After that, it’s pretty much smooth sailing and once that’s out of the way I can give a better estimate of when I’ll be ready.
Once you guys see everything I’ve done for this round I think you’ll understand lol.
But yeah I just wanted to give an update and let everyone know I’m not dead and haven’t given up on this tournament! It’s just taking longer than I would have liked to get the next bit ready. Please stick around if you want to get your little (or big) guys who you fought so hard for into Round 4!
(In the meantime though, I have a very steady queue of original nature and animal photography going up on my photo account, @saritawolf, if you’re feeling deprived lol)
To be more clear, this has been happening for a long time, and the reason it happens is that most birds of prey, and especially Bald Eagles, scavenge carcasses.
Lead is the cheapest, most readily available form of ammunition. It’s also brittle, and shatters into multiple little particles once it makes contact with its target.
Sometimes hunters will field dress their prey (ie butchering the animal on the spot, taking the meat home, and leaving the rest for scavengers). This is great and natural, but if the hunter used lead ammunition, there will likely still be pieces of lead in the carcass. Also, sometimes the animal gets away with lead shot still in its body. I interned at the facility in the post above, and we would often get donations of roadkill for the sanctuary’s residents. Every piece of roadkill had to be x-rayed before we could cut it up to feed the birds. Sometimes there’d be a deer leg that still had lead in it, and that had to be thrown away. Even roadkill isn’t safe.
Lead is also used in fishing tackle, where it is sometimes swallowed by fish, or cut from lines and left to sink to the bottom where it can be mistaken as food by loons or diving ducks. Lead sinkers that have been swallowed by fish can also poison eagles.
Seed-eating birds such as turkeys, pheasants, quail, and mourning doves may also peck at and ingest spent shot, mistaking it for seed.
And it only takes a piece of lead smaller than a pea to kill a bird.
Lead stays in the system, so scavenging a few pieces here and there can build up to that “pea-size” fast. It travels up the food chain too; if an eagle eats a lead-poisoned duck, that eagle is now also poisoned.
Lead poisoning is not a pleasant death. The bird becomes lethargic and weak, and begin to lose weight as their appetite decreases. Sometimes they exhibit neurological issues. The eagle above went blind and was involuntarily vocalizing. They may develop a head tilt or become paralyzed in certain parts of their body. Eventually they will be unable to fly, then walk, then slip into a coma before they eventually die. It is a long and expensive treatment to save a lead-poisoned bird, and many of the lucky birds that make it to rehab, even if they’ve come in for some other reason, have at least some exposure to lead. If it’s just a small amount, or they’re only in the early stages of lead poisoning, they can usually be saved. If they’re too far gone, like the eagle in the post above unfortunately was, they often have to be euthanized before they suffer a worse death.
Sometimes these birds that rehabbers spent so much time (usually unpaid), effort, heartbreak, and money (usually donations) into saving are just going out there to eat more lead. The birds don’t know any better. They don’t know that their food has poison in it. The best thing we can do is to Stop. Putting. Lead. In. The. Environment.
If you hunt or fish, or you have friends or family that hunt or fish, switch to non-lead alternatives. Campaign for the full ban of lead ammunition and tackle. Spread the word on why this is so important, as many people see their right to lead as a right to choose, and don’t fully understand the impact of that choice.
Alright y’all I’m still working on Round 3.5 and I’m sorry to say it’s not looking like I’m going to hit my goal of having it ready by January. 😓 Just a heads up. Gonna keep plugging away at it though! I am currently in the midst of beetle hell.
I have each order divided into groups at this point; what’s taking so long is that the clades I have chosen for the elimination round are each getting their own little “collage”. Since I don’t expect people to be that familiar with suborders/infraorders/superfamilies/etc, and while I will also be including a list of families included in each clade, people do not like to read, so each clade is getting a collage full of examples of the animals included within so voters can be sure they don’t accidentally miss their favs.
Now that December is here (and I am out of dinosaur hell aka finished with Archovember) I have been hard at work getting Round 3.5 ready! I just wanted to let everyone know that the radio silence here is not me having forgotten about this tournament it’s me doing a heck of a lot of research 😅
I would like Round 3.5 to start in January, with the new year, so my announcement post should be up before then. All my planning is going into trying to make that date work. That being said, it’s still a tentative date. Once I get the announcement post up, we’ll have an official one.
Also, side note, my freaking wobbegong post picked up and now that’s what all my notes look like. Everybody who reblogs or comments on that post is now contractually obligated to return to the tournament and vote for wobbegongs; that is now your government-assigned favorite animal.
Can you believe it? We made it through a whole year of polls and have declared 49 winning orders to move on to the next round. And you know what? Just to make things even, instead of every order over 900 points, let’s just make it the top 50 (the chickens would have only needed one extra love/3 extra points anyway).
As I have said in the past, our next round, Round 3.5, will be an elimination round of suborders/superfamilies/etc. to make some of these larger orders more manageable, and make the eventual Round 4 actually feasible. I’ll talk about that a bit more at the bottom of this post.
And so! Here are the 50 winners of our beefiest, longest round yet! (with our newest winners in green, as usual)
Our winner with the most overall points is Acipenseriformes, but our winner with the most favorites is Passeriformes! Of course, these are just bragging points, and every one of the top 50 orders is going to be moving on to the next round, for their families to continue being voted on. You can see more statistics below the cut.
1. Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 3049
2. Passeriformes (“passerines”) ~ 3035
3. Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 3015
4. Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 3009
5. Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 2884
6. Coelacanthiformes (“coelacanths”) ~ 2259
7. Trachichthyiformes (“lanterneyes”, “pinecone fishes”, “fangtooths”, and kin) ~ 1909
8. Cypriniformes (“loaches”, “carps”, “barbs”, “minnows”, and kin) ~ 1833
9. Araneae (“spiders”) ~ 1751
10. Lepisosteiformes (“gar”) ~ 1687
11. Carnivora (feliforms and caniforms) ~ 1678
12. Rodentia ~ 1675
13. Gobiiformes (“gobies”, “cardinalfishes”, “sand-divers”, and kin) ~ 1617
14. Vampyromorphida (“Vampire Squid”) ~ 1494
15. Coleoptera (“beetles”) ~ 1482
16. Hymenoptera (“wasps” [including “bees” and “ants”] and “sawflies”) ~ 1452
*(Note: a new species has since been described in this phylum but as Round 1 happened before the paper it wasn’t included in Round 1)
Extra Stats:
✔️ Most Votes of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 1,069
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 1,037
Cephalopod Order Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 901
Actinopterygiian Order Trachichthyiformes (“lanterneyes”, “pinecone fishes”, “fangtooths”, and kin) ~ 805
Reptilian Order Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 797
✔️Least Votes of Round 3 ⬇️
Malacostracan Order Tanaidacea ~ 124
Chondrichthyan Order Torpediniformes (“electric rays”) ~ 140
Malacostracan Order Leptostraca ~ 140
Actinopterygiian Order Acropomatiformes (“pearl perches”, “Giant Sea Bass”, “wreckfishes”, “boarfishes”, and kin) ~ 147
Malacostracan Order Mysida (“opossum shrimps”) ~ 148
🥰 Most Favorites of Round 3 ⬆️
Reptilian Order Passeriformes (“passerines”) ~ 452
Reptilian Order Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 321
Cephalopod Order Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 316
Mammalian Order Carnivora (feliforms and caniforms) ~ 301
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 254
😑 Least Favorites of Round 3 ⬇️
Arachnid Order Sarcoptiformes (Sarcoptiform mites) ~ 4
Mammalian Order Notoryctemorphia (“marsupial moles”) ~ 5
Actinopterygiian Order Hiodontiformes (“mooneyes”) ~ 5
Malacostracan Order Tanaidacea ~ 5
Mammalian Order Paucituberculata (“shrew opossums”) ~ 6
Malacostracan Order Mictacea ~ 6
Insect Order Psocodea (“lice”) ~ 6
Insect Order Siphonaptera (“fleas”) ~ 6
❤️ Most Loves of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 569
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 525
Cephalopod Order Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 439
Actinopterygiian Order Trachichthyiformes (“lanterneyes”, “pinecone fishes”, “fangtooths”, and kin) ~ 429
Reptilian Order Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 403
💔 Least Loves of Round 3 ⬇️
Arachnid Order Sarcoptiformes (Sarcoptiform mites) ~ 17
Arachnid Order Mesostigmata (Mesostigmatan mites) ~ 18
Actinopterygiian Order Hiodontiformes (“mooneyes”) ~ 23
Arachnid Order Ixodida (“ticks”) ~ 23
Insect Order Siphonaptera (“fleas”) ~ 24
👍 Most Likes of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 243
Actinopterygiian Order Trachichthyiformes (“lanterneyes”, “pinecone fishes”, “fangtooths”, and kin) ~ 239
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 207
Actinopterygiian Order Cypriniformes (“loaches”, “carps”, “barbs”, “minnows”, and kin) ~ 201
Cephalopod Order Vampyromorphida (“Vampire Squid”) ~ 188
✋ Least Likes of Round 3 ⬇️
Mammalian Order Carnivora (feliforms and caniforms) ~ 7
Reptilian Order Apodiformes (“hummingbirds” and “swifts”) ~ 25
Reptilian Order Strigiformes (“owls”) ~ 27
Insect Order Lepidoptera (“moths” [including “butterflies”]) ~ 27
Reptilian Order Caprimulgiformes (“nightjars”) ~ 32
Arachnid Order Sarcoptiformes (Sarcoptiform mites) ~ 32
😐 Most Neutral votes of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Elopiformes (“ladyfish” and “tarpon”) ~ 116
Insect Order Dermaptera (“earwigs”) ~ 114
Arachnid Order Uropygi (“vinegaroons”) ~ 96
Actinopterygiian Order Clupeiformes (“herrings”, “sprats”, “shads”, and kin) ~ 98
Arachnid Order Amblypygi (“whip-spiders” or “tailless whip-scorpions”) ~ 94
😮 Least Neutral votes of Round 3 ⬇️
Reptilian Order Galliformes (“landfowl”) ~ 0
Reptilian Order Strigiformes (“owls”) ~ 0
Reptilian Order Charadriiformes (“shorebirds”) ~ 1
Reptilian Order Apodiformes (“hummingbirds” and “swifts”) ~ 1
Reptilian Order Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 1
Insect Order Lepidoptera (“moths” [including “butterflies”]) ~ 1
👎 Most Dislikes of Round 3 ⬆️
Arachnid Order Ixodida (“ticks”) ~ 132
Insect Order Dermaptera (“earwigs”) ~ 74
Arachnid Order Amblypygi (“whip-spiders” or “tailless whip-scorpions”) ~ 62
Insect Order Siphonaptera (“fleas”) ~ 46
Arachnid Order Uropygi (“vinegaroons”) ~ 41
📪 Most Reblogs of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 174
Arachnid Order Araneae (“spiders”) ~ 147
Actinopterygiian Order Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 146
Cephalopod Order Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 141
Actinopterygiian Order Gobiiformes (“gobies”, “cardinalfishes”, “sand-divers”, and kin) ~ 135
📪 Least Reblogs of Round 3 ⬇️
Arachnid Order Mesostigmata (Mesostigmatan mites) ~ 7
Malacostracan Order Tanaidacea ~ 8
Arachnid Order Sarcoptiformes (Sarcoptiform mites) ~ 8
Actinopterygiian Order Hiodontiformes (“mooneyes”) ~ 10
Malacostracan Order Thermosbaenacea ~ 10
📝 Most Notes of Round 3 ⬆️
Actinopterygiian Order Acipenseriformes (“sturgeons” and “paddlefish”) ~ 440
Actinopterygiian Order Lampriformes (“oarfish”, “opahs”, “crestfish”, and kin) ~ 387
Actinopterygiian Order Gobiiformes (“gobies”, “cardinalfishes”, “sand-divers”, and kin) ~ 374
Reptilian Order Accipitriformes (“hawks”, “eagles”, “vultures”, and kin) ~ 344
Cephalopod Order Octopoda (“octopuses”) ~ 342
📝 Least Notes of Round 3 ⬇️
Arachnid Order Sarcoptiformes (Sarcoptiform mites) ~ 25
Arachnid Order Mesostigmata (Mesostigmatan mites) ~ 25
Malacostracan Order Tanaidacea ~ 28
Malacostracan Order Spelaeogriphacea ~ 30
Malacostracan Order Stygiomysida ~ 31
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Round 3.5 is coming up next!
As stated above, this will be an elimination round where any of the larger winning orders (ie Passeriformes, Rodentia, Coleoptera, etc.) will be broken up into smaller clades to be voted on, rather than splitting them up by their many families. Any smaller orders (ie ones with 15 or less families) will not take part in Round 3.5, waiting in the wings for Round 4.
As I am still deep in the throes of Archovember (check out my paleoart account here @saritapaleo or on instagram under the same username for that!), planning for Round 3.5 is going to be stalled for now. But don’t go away! I’ll be announcing a much more detailed post about Round 3.5, what it will entail, and how we’ll be going about it once November is over and I’ve been able to take a breather! The announcement post and schedule will likely come in early December, with the Round proper starting in January. Be ready… this is going to be a bit different from our usual rounds…
Habitat: fresh and salt waters, mosses, lichens, and plant litter in the Northern hemisphere
Evolved in: Middle Cretaceous
Do you have a favorite in Apochela?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Apochela
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 16, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Bergtrollus dzimbowski is the only species is the genus Bergtrollus. The name Bergtrollus is named after the mythical Scandinavian "mountain troll".
Tardigrades of the genus Milnesium are famous for being one of the most desiccation and radiation-resistant invertebrates on Earth, due to their unique ability to transform into a "tun" state and utilize intrinsically disordered proteins when experiencing extreme environments. In 2007, individuals of two tardigrade species, Richtersius coronifer and Milnesium tardigradum (image 1), were subject to the radiation, near-vacuum, and near-absolute zero conditions of outer space as part of the European Space Agency's Biopan-6 experiment. Three specimens of Milnesium tardigradum survived, while the Richtersius coronifer did not. M. tardigradum can survive high amount of environmental stress by initiating cryptobiosis. During this state, the internal organic clock of M. tardigradum halts, thus, the tardigrade does not even age during this time.
Milnesium tardigradum was voted the winner of The Guardian's "2025 invertebrate of the year" competition, from a shortlist of ten. The article describing the conclusion of the contest stated that the species had "endured all five previous planetary extinction events" (which is not necessarily true, M. tardigradum is a recent species, and the genus Milnesium is from the Cretaceous and thus endured only one planetary extinction event. The phylum Tardigrada as a whole has stem ancestors in the Cambrian, so perhaps they are attributing the successes of the entire phylum to this one species!)
Milnesium tardigradum is one of the largest species of tardigrades, at up to 1.4 mm long.
Female Milnesiids lay their eggs within their exuvium (discarded molted exoskeleton).
Anatomy: characterized by four long, frilly oral arms surrounding a quadrate mouth; tentacles line the domed bell; gastrovascular system consists of four unbranched pouches radiating outwards from the central stomach
Diet: zooplankton, crustaceans, and fish
Habitat: oceans worldwide; some species may enter brackish or even fresh water
Evolved in: Cambrian
Do you have a favorite in Semaeostomeae?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Semaeostomeae
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 15, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
The Lion’s Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata) (image 3) is one of the largest jellyfish, with the largest recorded specimen having a bell width of 210 cm (7 ft) and tentacles around 36.6 m (120 ft) long.
While most jellies are exclusively marine, the Bay Nettle (Chrysaora chesapeakei) ventures into the Chesapeake Bay’s brackish water all the way up into the freshwater of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
The Giant Phantom Jelly (Stygiomedusa gigantea) (image 4) is a deep sea jellyfish that is rarely seen, with only around 110 sightings in 110 years. It thought to be one of the largest invertebrate predators of the ocean's midnight zone and twilight zone, with an umbrella-shaped bell that can grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter and paddle-like arms that can grow up to 10 m (33 ft) in length. The bell's pliant tissue allows for the jellyfish to stretch 4 to 5 times its size, presumably to engulf their prey. They do not have any stinging tentacles and instead use their arms to trap and engulf their prey which consists of plankton and small fish. The Giant Phantom Jelly has a symbiotic relationship with the Pelagic Brotula (Thalassobathia pelagica), for which it provides food and shelter beneath its massive billowing bell, while the fish aids the jelly by removing parasites.
The Mauve Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) is a fairly small purple jellyfish that is able to bioluminesce. Light is emitted in the form of flashes when the medusa is stimulated by turbulence created by waves or by a ship's motion. Unusually among cnidarians, Mauve Stingers are able to consume phytoplankton, alongside copepods and other usual planktonic fare.
The Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita) (see gif above) is gaining popularity in aquarium touchtanks as they lack long tentacles and their sting has little to no affect on humans. They are also one of the longer-lived jellyfish, living up to two years in their medusa form, and are easy to rear and feed, making them a good candidate for giving humans an up-close learning experience with jellies. Fun fact: my dad let me watch The Sphere (1998) when I was 7 and it gave me Scyphophobia, a fear of jellyfish, that lasted for several years. I knew the behavior of the jellyfish as depicted in the movie wasn’t real, but I still wouldn’t enter the ocean for the next 5 years, and when I did start entering the ocean again every time I saw a jellyfish I would get out and not go back in again for another full year. It took a touch tank and several positive experiences with some Moon Jellies to get over my fear, and now I would say I’m fully recovered!
Anatomy: in contrast to other scyphozoans, they have neither tentacles nor other structures at the bell's edges; eight highly branched oral arms, which become fused as they approach the central part of the jelly; nematocysts and suctorial minimouth orifices along the oral arms; mouth is subdivided into minute pores that are linked to coelenteron
Diet: zooplankton, crustaceans, and fish
Habitat: oceans worldwide; some species have been known to enter brackish waters
Evolved in: Cambrian
Do you have a favorite in Rhizostomeae?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Rhizostomeae
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 14, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
The Jelly Blubber or Blue Blubber Jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus) is known to have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae. The algae lives within the jellyfish, using the sun to produce both energy for itself and for its host. However, most of the Jelly Blubber’s diet is zooplankton, and the energy gifted from the algae makes up only a small portion of its diet. Jelly Blubbers are also seen providing host to the copepod species Paramacrochiron maximum, which will live on the oral arms of the jellyfish and consume extra mucus it produces. This doesn’t harm the jellyfish, nor does it provide any benefit, but the copepod gets protection, food, and a free floating home.
The venom of the Jelly Blubber is currently being studied for potential anticancer effects. The cnidocytes of C. mosaicus hold venom which may have apoptopic effects on A549 cells, the same cells linked to pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. Another study found that gold nanoparticles with Acromitus flagellatus nematocyst venom residue also have anti-proliferative affects on cancer cells. Further study and isolation of jelly venom may lead to new anticancer innovations.
Young spider crabs, of the species Libinia ferreirae and Libinia spinosa, use the inside of the Marbled Jelly’s (Lychnorhiza lucerna) bell as a nursery, keeping them safe from predation.
Jellyfish of this order are considered edible, both as a delicacy and for use in traditional medicine, and are eaten mainly in Asia, typically dried and/or salted, or raw in salads. The Banana Jellyfish (Catostylus perezi), which is incapable of stinging humans but tends to bloom in large amounts in areas of high human activity, contains a large amount of nutrients, making it edible to humans. The Banana Jellyfish helps support malnutrition in communities where food is limited, such as off the coast of Pakistan. The mucin that comes off this jellyfish has also been found to help aid in the relief of joint pain. The Flame Jellyfish (Rhopilema esculentum) has become such a popular seafood item, that it is the subject of aquaculture in China, where it is bred in ponds before being released into a semi-enclosed bay to grow to a mature size suitable for the fishery. Fishing permits are issued around 2 months after the jellyfish are released.
The giant Nomura's Jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai), the largest Rhizostomeaen, can reach similar sizes as the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (which is in the order Semaeostomeae), growing up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter and weighing up to 200 kg (440 lb). The Nomura’s Jellyfish’s large size and quantity often negatively affects fisheries in East Asia. Aside from humans, their only predators are swordfish, tuna, sunfish, and leatherback sea turtles. A decrease in predators and an increase in favorable conditions and warming seas have caused an explosion in population, displaying that an increase in animal populations is not always a good sign! Scientists are studying their venom for use in medical applications, such as for treating joint disease and in cancer research. The Japanese company Tango Jersey Dairy also produces a vanilla and jellyfish ice cream using Nomura's Jellyfish.
When disturbed, the Cannonball Jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) can secrete a toxic mucus out of its nematocysts. The toxin harms small fish in the immediate area, and drives away most predators, except for certain types of crabs.
In Georgia, USA, the Cannonball Jellyfish is known as the “Georgia Jellyball”, and fishing for the species is the state’s third largest commercial fishery. The jellyfish are dried, preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan, China, and Thailand.
Upside-down Jellyfish (genus Cassiopea) (image 3) have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates and therefore, must lie upside-down in areas with sufficient light penetration to fuel their energy source, which also involves certain elements and minerals such as carbon. While the jellies do feed on crustaceans, nematodes, and eggs, they get most of their energy from photosynthesis. They can be seen in colonies of various colors, lying upside-down with their oral arms floating above them, like flattened versions of their anemone cousins.
Some species of Cassiopea have been observed to enter a sleep state, displaying three primary characteristics during this time. These are quiescence, also known as a state of inactivity or dormancy, delayed responsiveness to stimuli, and being able to partake in homeostatic regulation whilst asleep. They are the first animals with no central nervous system to have been observed sleeping.
The Crown Jellyfish (Cephea cephea) is one of the most venomous jellyfish, using large amounts of venom to kill their prey. Despite this, they are not known to be harmful to humans.
The Mediterranean Jellyfish, also known as the Fried Egg Jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) (image 4) also has a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, which allows it to photosynthesize on top of consuming plankton. The mutualistic relationship with zooxanthellae is so crucial to the Mediterranean Jellyfish's growth and survival that the preliminary step of premature medusa formation will not initiate without the presence of zooxanthellae, meaning the jellyfish will not mature to adulthood until it is inhabited by the algae.
Anatomy: distinguished from other jellyfish by the presence of a deep groove running around the umbrella, giving the bell a “crown” shape; bioluminescent bells; typically 6-20 tentacles line the bell which are used to filter feed or sting larger prey with nematocysts; translucent, red, or dark brown in color
Diet: crustaceans and fish
Habitat: oceans worldwide, mainly in the mesopelagic zone, but some species are pelagic or live in shallow, tropical waters
Evolved in: Cambrian
Do you have a favorite in Coronatae?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Coronatae
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 13, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Deep-sea crown jellies of the genus Atolla (image 4) are the most common jellies in the deep sea. They use their bright red coloration as camouflage (red is the first color to lose its hue in the absence of sunlight, thus causing the jelly to appear pure black). When approached by predators, it will display a sudden burst of brilliant blue bioluminescence (see image below). This burst of light in the dark water not only disorients predators but also attracts larger predators to the area. The threat of a bigger predator scares off any immediate danger, allowing the jelly to swim to safety. The Atolla Jelly does all this without eyes or a brain.
(source)
The Thimble Jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata) is a tiny jellyfish with a straight-sided, flat-topped bell. It is the most common cause of “seabather's eruption”, a hypersensitivity reaction to the immature nematocysts of larval-stage jellyfish, in Florida or the Caribbean. Symptoms of seabather’s eruption generally arise later, after showering, and are identified by severe itching around small red papules 1mm to 1.5 cm in size on areas of skin that were covered by water-permeable clothing or hair during ocean swimming. Initial swimmer exposure to the free-floating larvae produces no effects, as each animal possesses only a single, undeveloped nematocyst which is inactive while suspended in seawater. However, due to their microscopic size and sticky bodies, large concentrations of larvae can become trapped in minute gaps between skin and clothing or hair. Once the swimmer leaves the ocean, the organisms stuck against the skin die, and automatically discharge their nematocysts when crushed, dried out, or exposed to freshwater. This is why symptoms usually do not appear until the swimmer dries, or takes a freshwater shower, without removing the affected clothing. So, it sucks for both human and baby jelly, and why you should always be mindful of where and when you are swimming. In Florida, most cases occur between March and August, to swimmers who unknowingly swim into a cloud of Thimble Jellyfish larvae.
The Thimble Jellyfish Linuche aquila (image 2) has symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-celled photosynthetic organisms) which live within its tissues, and essentially allow it to photosynthesize. These supply a major part of its energy requirements.
The Helmet Jellyfish (Periphylla periphylla) (image 1 and gif above) is one of the rare examples in Scyphozoa whose life-cycle lacks a polyp stage. Their eggs are also the largest sized eggs within all Cnidaria, and females only produce a small number of eggs at a time. The jellyfish release their eggs on the surface of the water, where they rapidly sink to a depth that limits visibility of predators. These develop directly into medusae, whose development rests entirely upon the egg's high yolk supply, not even developing an open mouth until the sixth stage of their development.
The Helmet Jellyfish is photophobic (intolerant of light) and inhabits deeper parts of the oceans, but may be found at the surface on dark nights. However, they seem to communicate with each other via bioluminescence, with red flashes.
Many of the species in this order inhabit deep sea environments, and thus, not much is known about them. So far, only around 53 living species are known.
Families: 1 - Latimeriidae (only two living species are known today, both from the genus Latimeria)
Anatomy: large, plump body; many lobed fins; tapetum lucidum in eyes; two nostrils and four other external openings
Diet: cuttlefish, squid, snipe eels, small sharks, and other fish
Habitat: reef and volcanic slope habitats between 90 to 200 m (300 to 660 ft) deep, in the western Indian Ocean around the Comoro Islands, Madagascar, and Mozambique (L. chalumnae) and in the waters of north Sulawesi, Papua, Southwest Papua, and North Maluku (L. menadoensis)
Evolved in: Middle Triassic
Do you have a favorite in Coelacanthiformes?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Coelacanthiformes
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 12, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
As Sarcopterygiians (“lobe-finned fish”), coelacanths are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, and mammals), than to Actinopterygiians (“ray-finned fishes”) and Chondrichthyes (“cartilaginous fishes”).
Coelacanths get their name from Coelacanthus, a genus of Permian coelacanths and the first coelacanths to be described. Over 100 fossil species are known, and all of them were believed to have gone extinct in the Cretaceous. On December 23, 1938, the first Latimeria specimen was discovered among the catch of a South African fisherman, making coelacanths a “lazarus taxon.” While considered a “living fossil”, coelacanth body shapes were much more diverse in the Triassic, and, unlike other “living fossils”, the genus Latimeria itself is not known from fossils, showing that it had to have gone through some changes to adapt to the modern day.
Coelacanths can grow to more than 2 m (6.6 ft) long and weigh around 90 kg (200 lb).
Coelacanths are ovoviviparous, with the female retaining the fertilized eggs within her body while the embryos develop over a gestation period of five years. The female will give live birth to around 5-26 young. Young coelacanths resemble the adult, but carry an external yolk sac below their pelvic fins, and have larger eyes relative to body size.
Individual coelacanths may live as long as 80 to 100 years.
Coelacanths seem to get along with other coelacanths, though they recoil from physical touch. Scientists think that they recognize each other via electric communication.
Coelacanths can orient their body in almost any direction in the water. They have been seen doing headstands as well as swimming belly up.
Coelacanths are able to slow their metabolisms at will, sinking into less-inhabited depths and going into a sort of “hibernation mode” to conserve energy.
Scientific research suggests the coelacanth must stay in cold, well-oxygenated water or else its blood cannot absorb enough oxygen. The fish seems to be very well adapted to its environment, which is seen as one of the reasons why it has the slowest evolving genome of all known vertebrates.
And thus, all Round 3 polls have been posted. That’s right, Round 3 is almost at an end!
Please take this time to check the #/animal polls tag and make sure you haven’t missed any polls! As I have noticed, orders that move on tend to have over 300 votes along with majority favorites and loves, so if you want your favorites to move on, make sure they’re getting enough votes!
As the end of Round 3 is just around the corner I want to thank you all for sticking with me for this Beast (pun intended) Of A Tournament, and I hope that the enthusiasm can continue on into the rounds to come!
Please allow some time for polls to conclude, and then a final stat post will be up on November 18th (or shortly after)!
As I am still in midst of Archovember (please check out @saritapaleo here on Tumblr or on Instagram for this month’s paleoart project), this account is likely to go quiet following the final stat post as I devote my time fully to Archovember. Unfortunately there won’t be fun number-go-up buttons to press (other than the like or reblog button 👉👈), but if you’re hungry for daily bio content you can find it there, and on my photography account @saritawolf.
Rest assured, once December rolls around (and I’ve had a bit of time to take a breather and recoup), I’ll be making an announcement about how Round 3.5 is going to go down and when you can expect it to start, so don’t stray too far from this space! You’ve got your favs this far, it will be time to get them into the next round before you know it!
Thank you all!
Here is a fluffy Creature for your enjoyment:
(I believe I once promised I would show my rats as propaganda if rodents got into the next round. So I guess take this small token as a preview of things to come)
Habitat: fresh, brackish, and salt waters, mosses, lichens, plant litter, soil, grasses, and algae worldwide
Evolved in: Late Cretaceous
(source)
Do you have a favorite in Parachela?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Parachela
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 17, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Acutuncus antarcticus is the most abundant species of tardigrade in Antarctica, and one of the few animals native to Antarctica year round. They live on cyanobacteria and green algae and can live in their normal, active state for up to 161 days, though on average only live for 69. However, when the water that they need to survive in freezes over, A. antarcticus will enter a state of cryptobiosis, decreasing activity to a nearly undetectable level, ceasing to age until they are rehydrated. One outstanding case in 2015 demonstrated a frozen moss sample from 1983 that contained A. antarcticus tardigrades. From this sample, 2 adult tardigrades and 1 egg survived, despite being placed in -20 degrees Celsius for 30.5 years. This is the longest record of survival for tardigrades.
The entire genome of the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris has been sequenced. Hypsibius exemplaris has a compact genome and a generation time of about two weeks. It can be cultured indefinitely and cryopreserved.
Macrobiotus hufelandi, identified by German researcher Carl August Sigismund Schultze in 1834, is recognized as the first taxonomically named tardigrade species.
Macrobiotus shonaicus engage in a mating ritual which involves the male touching the female’s cloaca with his mouth several times until the female tardigrade stops moving. Both male and female then immediately molt before reproducing, developing mature oocytes to do so. Many other tardigrade species can reproduce parthenogenetically, but this species does not appear to be able to.
Richtersius coronifer is one of two species of tardigrade that have been shown to survive and continue reproducing after exposure to outer space, specifically in the thermosphere at 258–281 km above sea level with ionizing solar and galactic cosmic radiation for 10 days. However, unlike Milnesium tardigradum, R. coronifer did not survive under these conditions plus UV exposure. Despite their popularization as survivors who can withstand any extreme environment, it is usually humans who put tardigrades through these extremes. They don’t necessarily enjoy them, they can merely survive them, and only some of them can bounce back.
Habitat: fresh and salt waters, mosses, lichens, and plant litter in the Northern hemisphere
Evolved in: Middle Cretaceous
Do you have a favorite in Apochela?
One or more of my favorite animals is in Apochela
I love at least one or more of these animals
I like at least one or more of these animals
I am neutral about at least one or more of these animals
I dislike all of these animals
Voting ended onNov 16, 2025
Propaganda under the cut:
Bergtrollus dzimbowski is the only species is the genus Bergtrollus. The name Bergtrollus is named after the mythical Scandinavian "mountain troll".
Tardigrades of the genus Milnesium are famous for being one of the most desiccation and radiation-resistant invertebrates on Earth, due to their unique ability to transform into a "tun" state and utilize intrinsically disordered proteins when experiencing extreme environments. In 2007, individuals of two tardigrade species, Richtersius coronifer and Milnesium tardigradum (image 1), were subject to the radiation, near-vacuum, and near-absolute zero conditions of outer space as part of the European Space Agency's Biopan-6 experiment. Three specimens of Milnesium tardigradum survived, while the Richtersius coronifer did not. M. tardigradum can survive high amount of environmental stress by initiating cryptobiosis. During this state, the internal organic clock of M. tardigradum halts, thus, the tardigrade does not even age during this time.
Milnesium tardigradum was voted the winner of The Guardian's "2025 invertebrate of the year" competition, from a shortlist of ten. The article describing the conclusion of the contest stated that the species had "endured all five previous planetary extinction events" (which is not necessarily true, M. tardigradum is a recent species, and the genus Milnesium is from the Cretaceous and thus endured only one planetary extinction event. The phylum Tardigrada as a whole has stem ancestors in the Cambrian, so perhaps they are attributing the successes of the entire phylum to this one species!)
Milnesium tardigradum is one of the largest species of tardigrades, at up to 1.4 mm long.
Female Milnesiids lay their eggs within their exuvium (discarded molted exoskeleton).
A compass jellyfish recorded by the film-maker Tahsin Ceylan during a dive in Gölcük district of Kocaeli, Turkey - Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Weird and Wonderful: Otherworldly giant, red jellyfish swims into our minds
Like a big red spaceship cruising the ocean depths, Tiburonia granrojo truly is otherworldly. Despite its large size, scientists didn’t encounter it until 1993. These giant jellies are found between 600–2,100 meters (2,000–7,000 feet) and the bell can reach up to one meter (3.3 feet) across. The fact that scientists could miss something so big and with such a wide range suggests that many more surprises await us in our exploration of the deep sea. MBARI researcher George Matsumoto discovered and described this giant red medusa with several colleagues. It was named 𝘛𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘰 in recognition of the research contributions of the ROV Tiburon, retired by MBARI in 2008. The species name— granrojo means big red, a descriptive name that biologists used to refer to this jelly until it was formally named.
via: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
reference:
Matsumoto, G.I., K.A. Raskoff, and D.J. Lindsay (2003). Tiburonia granrojo n. sp., a mesopelagic scyphomedusa from the Pacific Ocean representing the type of a new subfamily (class Scyphozoa: order Semaeostomeae: family Ulmaridae: subfamily Tiburoniinae subfam. nov.). Marine Biology, 143: 73-77.
