Bazinga (jellyfish) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bazinga (jellyfish) |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Bazinga
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| Species: |
rieki
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The Bazinga is a special type of jellyfish. It belongs to a group called rhizostome jellyfish. So far, scientists only know about one species in this group: the Bazinga rieki. You can find this unique jellyfish off the central eastern coast of Australia.
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Discovering the Bazinga Jellyfish
Scientists officially described the Bazinga rieki jellyfish in June 2013. Two marine biologists, Lisa-Ann Gershwin and Peter Davie, did this important work. They studied a special sample, called a holotype, to describe the new species.
Where Was It Found?
The first sample was found in shallow water. It was in the Brunswick River in northern New South Wales, Australia. This happened during high tide.
How It Got Its Name
The specific name rieki honors Denis Riek. He took a photo of this jellyfish in northern New South Wales. His picture helped lead to the discovery of this new species.
What Makes Bazinga Jellyfish Unique?
The Bazinga rieki jellyfish is so different that scientists had to create a new family for it. This new family is called Bazingidae. It also represents a brand new group, or suborder, of Rhizostomae jellyfish, named Ptychophorae.
Physical Features of the Bazinga
The Bazinga rieki has a thick, round body. It is clear and colorless, meaning you can see through it. The top part of its body is covered in tiny bumps. These bumps have yellow centers.
The muscles underneath its bell are golden brown. This color comes from tiny living things called zooxanthellae. These are like tiny plants that live inside the jellyfish.
How Small Is It?
This jellyfish is very small, less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) across. That's about the size of a grape! It is much smaller than most other rhizostome jellyfish.
It has a large, round stomach. This stomach takes up more than half of the jellyfish's body. You can easily see it from underneath. Unlike other rhizostome jellyfish, it has special covered sensory organs called rhopalia instead of open pits.
The Story Behind the Name "Bazinga"
The name Bazinga has two fun meanings.
A Pop Culture Reference
First, it comes from a popular TV show called The Big Bang Theory. In the show, a character named Dr. Sheldon Cooper often says "Bazinga!" It means "fooled you!" or "gotcha!" Scientists thought this name was perfect because the jellyfish is so small. It was probably mistaken for a baby version of other jellyfish, like the similar Catostylus mosaicus. It fooled everyone for a long time!
A Musical Connection
Second, the word bazinga is also the name of a seven-string harp. The new jellyfish species has straight lines inside its body. These lines look a lot like the strings of such a harp.
