BajaNomad

Jellyfish

Osprey - 5-31-2007 at 10:38 AM

The Colony


Last week there were uncountable agua malas, Portuguese Man O’War on the beach. They were small and made an almost continuous bright blue line in the high water mark along the strand; none bigger than a grape, they were mixed with the darker line of driftwood bark that forms small clouds at the water’s edge.

Like many specie of jellyfish they are not one single animal but a colony of specialized animals which comprise a living mass – most can move about, all have mouths, stomachs and various appendages and venoms to catch, capture, stun and engulf their prey.

Humans have a hard time with the concept of colonial organisms. If we thought about it we might see their parallels in familiar things like factories – we could call a factory an industrial organism (colony). Hospitals and nursing homes we might label social colonies.

I tried to think of this little village as though it were a social organism; each villager (or groups of them) acting with some special ability, skill or knowledge to enable the organism to live and grow. If it is an organism there must be some sort of social compact, written or implied that directs the members in their discreet functions. I personally believe members rarely have to consult the written compact to be guided – I hope I’m right that the functions become so natural the villagers recognize and move to serve the needs of the organism without lectures or nostrums.

Since jellyfish have no skeletons we don’t know much about their beginnings. Something magical happened way back when; organisms joined the group to become integral and necessary – perception was the key – they had to be recognized to be anything but predators or prey (lest they be avoided or eaten). Sure wish we knew what the magic thing was because it might show us the way to end our problems at the border. Until the magic happens, those organisms which need to join the colony may be stung or avoided before they could begin to fulfill their very necessary function.

The magic thing must be very simple; otherwise our garbage man and our mayor would be trading jobs on a whim – not good for the colony. Well, who knows? Maybe jellyfish rearrange themselves all the time and we just aren’t watching.

Paulina - 5-31-2007 at 10:48 AM

Another take on the jellyfish by Jimmy Buffet"

"I'd like to be a jellyfish, cause jellyfish don't pay rent. They don't walk, they don't talk with some Euro-trash accent. They're just simple protoplasm, clear as celophane. They ride the winds of fortune, life without a brain..."

Now I have to re-read your message and see if I can understand your connection. I can see villagers floating along with what the rest of the village is doing, being guided by the tides...I know you're writing is way deeper than I'm getting right now. I guess I'll re-fill my iced tea and try to figure it out...There's a lot more to think about here than coming up with a caption to Pomp's photo, (I like EGL's the best), but there are times for both types of entertainment and they both seem to fit on this board.

P<*)))><

gracias

sylens - 5-31-2007 at 10:53 AM

i enjoy your thought provoking observations.

Pescador - 6-1-2007 at 06:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey

Since jellyfish have no skeletons we don’t know much about their beginnings. Something magical happened way back when; organisms joined the group to become integral and necessary – perception was the key – they had to be recognized to be anything but predators or prey (lest they be avoided or eaten). Sure wish we knew what the magic thing was because it might show us the way to end our problems at the border. Until the magic happens, those organisms which need to join the colony may be stung or avoided before they could begin to fulfill their very necessary function.


I guess that is one of the issues for those with no backbone.:spingrin:

Crusoe - 6-1-2007 at 07:07 AM

Osprey......Its so simple.......They are just enjoying a day at the beach just like every one/thing else!! ++C++

bajagrouper - 6-1-2007 at 08:38 AM

I wonder if in the great expanse of the worlds oceans there is a peanut butter fish?

Could there be 2 different types, the Atlantic smooth and the Pacific chunky?

cbuzzetti - 6-1-2007 at 09:40 AM

Boy I hope there is, I would really love a Carribean Celery Stick Fish with Pacific Chunky smeared all over it :spingrin:

bacquito - 6-1-2007 at 09:04 PM

Social insects such as ants and bees are another example of cooperation-all members working for the good of the colony.

amir - 6-1-2007 at 09:20 PM

Osprey, if you keep posting stories like this, how am I ever going to finish reading the book you sent me?

Thanks!

Sailors-By-The-Wind (Valella vallela)

amir - 6-1-2007 at 09:37 PM

We found these specimens in Cannon Beach, Oregon, during our honeymoon a few years back. There were tens of thousands of them on the high water line. These were bigger than the ones you describe, maybe 2-3 inches in diameter; they gave the beach a glimmering bright blue tint, it was beautiful, but sad that the wind had carried this population to their death...

Your words have added a story to the picture, and now the picture ads a visual to your narration. Great trade. Thanks again, Osprey!

Sailors.jpg - 50kB

Osprey

Baja Bernie - 6-1-2007 at 09:53 PM

"Maybe jellyfish rearrange themselves all the time and we just aren’t watching."

Sound like you are talking about our National Government.

Iflyfish - 6-1-2007 at 10:09 PM

Maybe that is how the organs started, in some sort of primeval cooperative dance that got formalized so to speak. The neck bone connetted to the back bone the bladder bone connected to the sphinter bone now hear the word of the lord.........or something like that, maybe leave out the word of the lord part........

Fascinating. Is it neuronal artifact of self consciousness that creates the sense of the self? I read now that the stomach and intestines have an elaborate nervous system, neuro transmitter generation, a sort of un self conscious brain. All I know if that some days it takes a lot of guts to be human.

Iflyfish

Cypress - 6-2-2007 at 06:09 AM

Nematocysts are what give jellyfish their sting.:)Under magnification they look like harpoons.:O

Mexitron - 6-2-2007 at 06:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Iflyfish
Maybe that is how the organs started, in some sort of primeval cooperative dance that got formalized so to speak. The neck bone connetted to the back bone the bladder bone connected to the sphinter bone now hear the word of the lord.........or something like that, maybe leave out the word of the lord part........

Fascinating. Is it neuronal artifact of self consciousness that creates the sense of the self? I read now that the stomach and intestines have an elaborate nervous system, neuro transmitter generation, a sort of un self conscious brain. All I know if that some days it takes a lot of guts to be human.

Iflyfish


Yup, all kinds of layers of "consciousness" in our systems...the sense of self was thought to be a recent arrival with the formation of the neocortex(I'm not sure that's the name of it) part of the brain. Every organ has connections to the brain and communicates what it wants. The stomach is concerned with eating food and let's you know real quick when its empty(reminds me of the Kalahari myth--In the old days man and stomach were separate beings...then one day they were joined together and man has been hungry ever since).
And when you see that pretty girl walking down the street and you become seized by the idea of having her--most of that is your primitive brain, still around from lizards, just wanting to procreate. That's rather simplistic since other factors are at work too like archetypal templates being awakened but that's a lot of it...

Tis fascinating...