Jellyfish-Like Species that Combines Multiple Jets to Move in Water

The researchers also found that the younger members at the front pushed out the least amount of water with their jets, but their slightest movement can turn the whole colony.

According to the Marine Biological Laboratory, it is not uncommon for marine animals to be using jet propulsion for the objective of navigating their environments. These clones are said to move the equivalent of a human running a marathon every day, so their older age certainly does not slow them down.

Researchers who watched N. bijuga off of Friday Harbor on Washington’s coast think this swimming style could help in the design of underwater vehicles with distributed propulsion. Costello describes them “as a long lever arm” and points out that they have a crucial role in this movement pattern.

Dubbed Nanomia bijuga, it’s a member of the siphonophores, a group of gelatinous planktonic creatures that are related to jellyfish, anemones and coral.

Until recently, researchers didn’t notice what happened within a colony of Nanomia bijuga, but a recent study revealed that colony members are active swimmers that coordinate their moves to the benefit of the entire group. To obtain food, physonects travel to the surface at night and return to darker depths during the day to apparently avoid visual predators like fish.

“The nectosome is only a few centimeters in length, but it tows behind it much longer groups of reproduction and feeding units over distances that can reach 200 meters (656 feet) a day”, says the MBL report about the research.

In order to observe this species’ unique swimming technique, researchers videotaped the organisms, then used image analysis to determine the size and thrust of individual jets, according to the release.

In their system, the younger ones can be found at the leading end of the formation.

The younger group is in charge of steering and turning, and in spite of their smaller jets, they are incredibly important to the entire sophisticated process. This helps the N. bijuya to quickly alter its course when needed. They are like the handle of a door.

In contrast, the older, larger nectophores provide forward or reverse thrust to propel the colony during its daily migration.

“Just because the young ones are small, it doesn’t mean they aren’t important”. They are like the handle of a door. He compared the concept to a door; when one pushes the door near the hinges, where the axis of rotation is near, that person may have a hard time. So, in spite of the little force of their small jets, their position makes their influence highly impactful when turning.