What are the 5 life stages of a jellyfish cycle?

You're close! The jellyfish life cycle actually has more than 5 stages. Here's the breakdown:

1. Planula Larva: This is the first stage, a free-swimming larva with cilia (tiny hairs) that help it move. It develops from a fertilized egg.

2. Polyp: The planula larva settles and attaches to a surface, transforming into a polyp. This is a stalk-like structure with a mouth and tentacles.

3. Strobila: The polyp undergoes a process called strobilation, where it divides horizontally into a stack of discs called ephyrae.

4. Ephyra: Each ephyra detaches from the polyp and begins its independent life as a small, immature jellyfish.

5. Medusa: The ephyra grows into the familiar bell-shaped medusa, the sexually mature stage of the jellyfish.

So, the 5 stages are not distinct, but rather a breakdown of the continuous life cycle:

1. Fertilized Egg: The starting point.

2. Planula Larva: The first free-swimming stage.

3. Polyp: The attached, budding stage.

4. Ephyra: The immature, free-swimming stage.

5. Medusa: The mature, reproductive stage.