OBELIA

Obelia is a marine colonial trimorphic hydrozoan having polyp, medusa and blastostyle stages in
its life history. It is abundant in both Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters.
The small branched hydroid colony is found attached to rocks, stones, shells of animals or on
large seaweeds and appears like a delicate whitish or light brownish fur-like growth.
The sexual form is a bell-like medusa which possesses gonads and disperses sperms and ova in
water.
COLONY STRUCTURE
Obelia colony consists of a horizontally branching root-like stolon or hydrorhiza from which
emerge many vertical branching stems called hydrocaulus. Branches emerging from the stem terminate
either

in

nutritive

zooids,

called

the

polyps

or hydranths or

in

reproductive

zooids

calledblastostyles or gonangia, which produce medusa. Thus, Obelia colony is trimorphic, exhibiting two
types of zooids attached to the sedentary colony and a free swimming zooid or medusa.
The colony is made of an inner, tubular and living tissue, the coenosarc, which encloses a canal,
called the gastrovascular cavity, whose walls consist of two layers, an outer epidermis and an inner
gasrodermis and a gelatinous mesogloea in between. Coenosarc is surrounded externally by a
yellowish or brownish, non-living chitinous layer, called perisarc that protects the colony and serves as
an exoskeleton. Annuli on perisarc permit limited swaying movements and bending of the zooids.
The body wall
The body wall of the colony is composed of two layers, the outer epidermis and
innergastrodermis and a thin, transparent, non-cellular gelatinous layer called mesogloea sandwiched in
between. Epidermis carries stinging cells or nematocysts, which are especially abundant on tentacles
forming batteries. A nerve-net composed of branched nerve cells is present on each side of mesogloea.
Gastrodermis consists of large nutritive-muscle cells and narrower gland cells that secrete digestive
enzymes and help in digestion, which is both extracellular and intracellular.
There are three types of zooids in Obelia colony as follows:
Polyp or Hydranth
It is the nutritive zooid of the colony and is also called gastrozooid or trophozooid. Its distal end
is produced into a conical elevation called the manubrium or hypostome, in the middle of which is
located the mouth. From the base of hypostome arises a circle of up to 30 filiform tentacles containing

nematocysts. Perisarc around the hydranth dilates to form a loose cup-like, transparent protective
sheath, the hydrotheca into which the polyp withdraws when in danger.
Blastostyle or gonangium
When the colony has reached full development, it produces special club-shaped bodies
calledblastostyles or blastozooids or gonozooids. The perisarc, covering the blastostyle, forms a loose,
transparent, vase-like capsule called the gonotheca. The blastostyle, by lateral asexual budding,
produces sexual zooids called medusae or gonophores. Fully formed medusae detach from blastostyle
and escape through an aperture called the gonopore. Gonotheca, together with blastostyle and
medusae is referred to as gonangium.
Medusa or Nectophore
Large number of medusae is produced by budding on blastostyle. They detach and escape
from gonangium through its opening called gonopore and freely swim and feed in water.
A fully grown Obelia medusa is a radially symmetrical tiny umbrella, measuring 1 or 2 mm in
diameter. The subumbrellar surface has four radial canals and a circular canal on the margin. A mature
medusa bears four gonads, one in the middle of each radial canal.
From the centre of the sub-umbrellar surface projects down a hollow process, the manubriumthat
bears a four-sided mouth in the centre leading into a gastrovascular cavity. Circular edge of umbrella is
produced inwards into a fold called velum, which does not carry any canal in it. Margin of the umbrella
bears numerous short tentacles with nematocysts.
Nervous system in medusa is a diffused network of neurons.
Medusa floats in water and is drifted by water currents with manubrium hanging downward and
tentacles swaying freely. It also swims actively by muscular contractions and velum.

Medusa is

carnivorous and feeds on planktons. Medusa has eight marginal statocysts, situated at the bases of
tentacles on the subumbrellar surface for providing a sense of equilibrium to the animal.
Medusae are reproductive zooids or gonozooids possessing four gonads. They are dioecious as
testes and ovaries are derived from different individuals. Each medusa bears only four gonads situated
on the subumbrellar surface, over each radial canal. Although medusa bears gonads and sex cells, it
does not produce them. Spermatogenesis and oogenesis takes place inside the blastostyle and the
resulting sperms and ova migrate and fill the gonads of the medusa. So the function of medusa is to
disperse them in water.
LIFE HISTORY OF OBELIA THE METAGENESIS

Life History of Obelia includes both asexual and sexual generations that alternate with each other
to complete the life cycle. The sedentary hydroid colony alternates with the pelagic medusa phase.
Hydroid colony reproduces by asexual budding to produce hydranths and blastostyles. Medusae are
also produced by budding from blastostyle but they are free swimming sexual forms that carry ova and
sperms in four gonads and disperse them in water far and wide. Such alternation of generation in which
the asexual polypoid generation appears to alternate regularly with the sexual medusoid generation but
both forms are diploid, is called Metagenesis. In true alternation ofgeneration one of the stages in life
cycle is haploid, whereas in metagenesis both stages are diploid.
Medusae are the sexual zooids or gonozooids possessing gonads. They are dioecious, i.e. testes
and ovaries are borne by separate individuals. Each medusa bears four gonads on the subumbrellar
surface, one in the middle of each radial canal. Each gonad is an ovoid, knob-like body having an outer
epidermis and an inner lining of gastrodermis. Gametes are housed between the two layers. Outer wall
of mature gonads ruptures to release the gametes in water.
Fertilization occurs in sea water where the gametes are set free. Parent medusae die soon after
liberating the gametes.
Fertilized egg or zygote undergoes holoblastic cleavage, resulting in a solid morula, which then
transforms into a hollow ball of cells called blastula. Blastula is made of blastomeres and encloses a
cavity called blastocoel.
Gastrulation takes place by delamination of the endodermal cells from one end of blastula,
eventually filling the blastocoel completely. Such solid gastrula is called stereogastrula in which the
outer layer of cells is the ectoderm and the inner mass of cells filling the blastocoel is endoderm.
Gastrula elongates and forms an elongated free swimming ciliated planula larva that swims about
in search of a suitable substratum for fixing to form a sedentary colony. Soon the solid endoderm splits
and develops a cavity, the enteron. Now the fixed planula becomes a truly two-layered larva with an
outer ciliated ectoderm and an inner endoderm. The larva now closely resembles a simple polyp and is
called hydrula. By budding, hydrula gradually grows into a branchingObelia colony.

Systematic position

PHYLUM-Coelentrata
CLASS Hydrozoa
ORDER Hydrozoidia
Genus Obelia
Obelia has a worldwide distribution except the high-arctic and Antarctic seas. [1] The medusa stage
of Obelia species are common in coastal and offshore plankton around the world. [2] Obelia are usually
found no deeper than 200 metres (660 ft) from the waters surface, growing in intertidal rockpools and
at the extreme low water of spring tides. Obelia is a genus in the class Hydrozoa, which consists of
mainly marine and some freshwater animal species and have both the polyp and medusa stages in their
life cycle. The genus belongs to the phylum Cnidaria, which are all aquatic and mainly marine organisms
that are relatively simple in structure.

Structure of obelia colony The obelia colony is delicate semitransparent and whitish or light brown in
colour. Each obelia colony consist of horizontal thread like root called hydrorhizawhich is attached to
the substratum. A branching arises from hydrorhiza called hydrocaulus. The hydrocaulus bear polyps .
each polyps has a stem and a terminal head hydranth. The hydranth are feeding polyps. They feed by
capturing minute animals and larva. Towords the base of the hydrocaolus in the exil of polyp the
reproductive polyps the reproductive polyps called blastostyle.

The complete obelia colony is covered by a tough yellow transparent and non living chitinous layer
secreted by a tough yellow transparent and non living chitinous layer secreted by ectoderm known as
perisarc. The perisarc around a blastostyle is called gonotheca.
Zoids of colony
1.
Polyps Nutritive zoids.
2.
Blastostyle gonangiun (budding zoids)
3.
Medusa sexual zoids

The hydroid form is usually colonial, with multiple polyps connected by tube like hydrocauli. The hollow
cavity in the middle of the polyp extends into the associated hydrocaulus, so that all the individuals of
the colony are intimately connected. Where the hydrocaulus runs along the substrate, it form a
horizontal root-like stolon that anchors the colony to the bottom.
The hydroid Tubularia indivisa, fertile, Gulen Dive resort, Norway.
The colonies are generally small, no more than a few centimeters across, but some inSiphonophorae can
reach sizes of several meters. They may have a tree-like or fan-like appearance, depending on species.
The polyps themselves are usually tiny, although some noncolonial species are much larger, reaching 6 to
9 cm (2.4 to 3.5 in), or, in the case of the deep-sea Branchiocerianthus, a remarkable 2 m (6.6 ft).[2]
The hydrocaulus is usually surrounded by a sheath of chitin and proteins called the perisarc. In some
species, this extends upwards to also enclose part of the polyps, in some cases including a closeable lid
through which the polyp may extend its tentacles.[2]
In any given colony, the majority of polyps are specialized for feeding. These have a more or less
cylindrical body with a terminal mouth on a raised protuberance called the hypostome, surrounded by a
number of tentacles. The polyp contains a central cavity, in which initial digestion takes place. Partially
digested food may then be passed into the hydrocaulus for distribution around the colony and
completion of the digestion process. Unlike some other cnidarian groups, the lining of the central cavity
lacks stinging nematocysts, which are found only on the tentacles and outer surface.
All colonial hydrozoans also include some polyps specialized for reproduction. These lack tentacles and
contain numerous buds from which the medusoid stage of the lifecycle is produced. The arrangement
and type of these reproductive polyps varies considerably between different groups.
Blastostyle it is club shaped cylindrical form and coverd by gonotheca.the blastyle has no mouth and
no tentacles. Its free distal ends are closed and devoid of mouth and tentacles. The perisarc covering
blastostyle forms a loose, transparent, vase like capsule, the gonotheca.
Blaststyle is an asexual zooid and produces medusae or gonophore by asexual budding. Matured medusae
detach from the blastostyle and escape into the water through an aperture, the gonopore.
The medusae of hydrozoans are smaller than those of typical jellyfish, ranging from 0.5 to 6 cm (0.20 to
2.36 in) in diameter. Although most hydrozoans have a medusoid stage, this is not always free-living, and
in many species, exists solely as a sexually reproducing bud on the surface of the hydroid colony.
Sometimes, these medusoid buds may be so degenerated as to entirely lack tentacles or mouths,
essentially consisting of an isolated gonad.[2]
The body consists of a dome-like umbrella ringed by tentacles. A tube-like structure hangs down from
the centre of the umbrella, and includes the mouth at its tip. Most hydrozoan medusae have just four
tentacles, although a number of exceptions exist. Stinging cells are found on the tentacles and around
the mouth.
The mouth leads into a central stomach cavity. Four radial canals connect the stomach to an additional,
circular canal running around the base of the bell, just above the tentacles. Striated muscle fibres also
line the rim of the bell, allowing the animal to move along by alternately contracting and relaxing its

body. An additional shelf of tissue lies just inside the rim, narrowing the aperture at the base of the
umbrella, and thereby increasing the force of the expelled jet of water.[2]

The polyp colony reproduces asexually. During this stage of life, Obelia are confined
to substrate surfaces. On this mature colony there are individual hydranths called gastrozooids, which
can be found expanded or contracted, to aid in the growth of this organism by feeding; the reproductive
polyp gonozooids has medusa buds. Other hydranths are specialized for defense. The main stalky body of
the colony is composed of a coenosarc, which is covered by a protective perisarc.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF OBELIA COMPLETED IN FOLLOWING STEPS1.

FERTILIZATION
2.
DEVELOPMENT

1.Fertilization- the fertilization usually take place in open sea water where the gametes are swims
freely. Some time the sperm are carried into female medusa with water current and they fertilized.
2.Development- the development include following structure
Cleavage

Planula larva

Hydrula
1.Cleavage- The zygote undergo holoblastic and equal cleavage to form solid ball of cell
calledmorula. The morula changed into a single layered blastula with a cavity blastocoel. Its single
layerd cell is called blastomere. then convert into solid gastrula. It is double layerd. Outer ectoderm
and inner endoderm.
2.Planula The planulae live free-swimming for a while but eventually attach themselves to some solid
surface, where they begin their reproductive phase of life. Once attached to a substrate, a planula
quickly develops into one feeding polyp. As the polyp grows, it begins developing branches of other
feeding individuals, thus forming a new generation of polyps by asexual budding.
3.Hydrula- the planulla after a short free swimming existence settle on some solid object by broader
end and undergo metamorphosis. Its proximal end form a basal disk for attachment. The free distal end
form manubrium with a mouth and circlet the tentacle. Thus a simple polyps is formed which grows a
hydrorhiza form its base and obelia colony is formed by budding from which the hydrula gradually
change into a new complex of branching of obelia colony which is similar to the parents.

In the life history of obelia alternation of polypoid and medusoid generation occur. The asexual polypoid
generation alternate with a sexual medusoid generation. This phenomenon is known as alternation of
generation.
Animals reproduce in order to give rise to the next generation. All species must do this in order to pass
on genes and keep their niche filled. The process of reproduction, however, can be uniquely identified to
an individual species: a combination of genes and environment can lead to an entirely species-specific
form of reproduction. Depending on the combination of these factors, there are numerous types of
reproduction possible. Still, some closely related groupings of animals can have similar processes. For
phylum Cnidaria, the common method of species reproduction is alternation of generations. Uniquely
belonging to a few plant and animal species in the world, this form of transformation is what sets apart
Cnidarian reproduction from other aquatic invertebrates reproduction.
The obelia show polymorphism in which the polyps are for feeding ,blastostyle for budding and medusa
for gamete formation.