Today is World Jellyfish Day, observed globally on November 3, to highlight jellyfish’s economic and ecological importance. In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) has organized seminars and events to mark the occasion since 2022.
However, this year, no formal celebration occurs in the country.
Despite having the word “fish” in their name, jellyfish are not fish. Unlike fish, they lack scales, gills, and fins. Jellyfish are invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria and are so unique that many scientists simply refer to them as “gelatinous zooplankton.”
Instead of fins, they propel themselves by opening and closing their bell-shaped bodies. Being composed of 98% water, jellyfish can disappear within hours if washed ashore due to the rapid evaporation of their bodies. They have no brains—only a simple nervous system.
Photo: Abdur Rashid Manik
