Differentiate between Polyp and Medusa with examples.
Answers
Difference Between Medusa and Polyp
Polyp
Medusa
Mobility
Polyps are sessile
Medusae are mobile
Shape
Polyps possess a tubular shape
Medusa has a bell-shaped body
Mouth
The mouth of polyps faces the water upwards
Medusa have their mouths facing the water downwards
Manubrium
Absent in polyps
Present in medusae
Sense Organs
Absent in polyps
Photoreceptors and statocyst are present in medusae
Method of Reproduction
Can reproduce sexually as well as asexually
Exclusively sexual reproduction
Reproduction
Polyps can give rise to more polyps as well as medusae through budding
Medusae can only give rise to medusae
Evolution
Polyps are a relatively primitive form of cnidarians
Medusae are much more evolved and complex form of cnidarians
Answer:
In the phylum Cnidaria, which includes jellyfish and sea anemones, polyp and medusa are two different stages of the life cycle. In some species, these two stages alternate between each other, such as in Hydrozoa. Jellyfish, on the other hand, exhibit only the medusa stage, while members of the genus Hydra exhibit the polyp form. Read on to explore more differences between Polyp and Medusa.