"Medusa" sea jellies - So Cal

[Nay]

Hey,
I have a couple of friends who refer to "medusa" jellies pretty often. However, I've heard her refer to what seems like two different jellies by that same name.
What do you consider the "medusa" jelly? Specifically off So Cal's shores.
The two I've heard her refer to as a medusa are a type of comb jelly and the "box" jelly found around here.

Thanks

 

[archman]

I don't know what sorts of common names you Californians throw around, and "Medusa Jelly" may be one of them.

However, generic use of the term is used worldwide to signify jellyfishes of the scyphozoan type. That's most of the jellies that divers encounter, alas. "Medusa" is one of two life history stages for scyphozoan, hydrozoan, and cubozoan jellyfish, and the one that "looks" like a jellyfish. The second stage is the polypoid one, which is normally benthic and sedentary. Hard to notice unless you're specifically hunting for them.

You can appropriately call most jellies "medusa jellies"; exceptions would be siphonophore colonies and a few other weirdo groups. It's really not a useful term to use at all. I'm really quite surprised that your friends are using it, and I'd like to know where they learned it from.

The term is completely off for comb jellies. That's a different phylum, has been for over twenty years. They don't possess medusa/polyp life histories. Whoever calls them "medusa jellies" is wrong. You can refer to comb jellies properly as ctenophores, or loosely as sea walnuts. I've even heard "sea berry" before.

 

[Nay]

OK, that makes total sense. The bell shaped ones with crazy snake-like tentacles (medusa) can be called that. For the most part, I'll learn the proper (if not actual scientific) names.
I like sea walnut!
thanks archman