In which inaccurate google results cause me to create "art"
There I was, preparing for teaching my class, and I wanted to find a nice figure to show the difference between the ctenophore and jellyfish life cycle. Often people think Ctenophores are the same as Jellyfish, and while both of those critters are jelloid, ctenophores are different. They're their whole damn phylum. PHYLUM! There are only 9 phyla total. What I'm saying is, they're some seriously unique critters.
So anyway, la de la, there I go, googling "ctenophore life cycle" and DEAR LORD, the top result is a picture of a jellyfish life cycle, complete with jellyfish, claiming it's a ctenophore life cycle! Shock horror!
Jellyfish life cycles are cool and weird, involving a polyp stage, and then a budding polyp stage that farts out little doilies that turn into Jellyfish. That is cool! We love that! But that's not what ctenophores do!
Gather 'round class. This is the difference.
Sometimes ya gotta make an emergency science doodle, ya know?
Ctenophores, with the exception of benthic ctenophores, which are also cool as hell, live their whole life up in the water. No bottom stage for them
Ctenophores are the coolest.
Here are some benthic ctenos
(pic taken at a very cool benthic cteno exhibit at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium)
