How Are Jellyfish Born?

Just like butterflies, which that are born from the transformation of caterpillars, jellyfish are born by asexual reproduction from polyps that – unlike caterpillars – remain alive for many years.

Do jellyfish lay eggs or give live birth?

There are two main ways that jellyfish reproduce and if the conditions are favourable they can do this daily. There are a few jellyfish species that receive sperm through their mouths to fertilise eggs inside the body cavity, but most jellyfish just release sperm or eggs directly into the water.

How are jellyfish created?

For both species, fertilized eggs develop into a multi-cellular planula and then into polyps that live on the sea floor. At the polyp stage, jellies resemble tiny anemones and reproduce asexually by strobilation. When a polyp strobilates—segmenting its body to reproduce—it releases tiny ephyra into the water.