Head to head
Crystal Jellyfish vs Immortal Jellyfish
Both are small jellyfish that became famous for entirely different reasons, one for a glowing protein and the other for seemingly defeating old age.
| Crystal Jellyfish | Immortal Jellyfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Aequorea victoria | Turritopsis dohrnii |
| Claim to fame | Source of green fluorescent protein, a Nobel Prize-linked discovery | Ability to revert to a juvenile polyp stage, evading ageing |
| Size | A few centimetres across | About 4.5 millimetres across |
| Native range | North Pacific coastal waters | Originally the Mediterranean, now found worldwide |
| Special ability | Produces glowing proteins used in biological research | Can transform back into a polyp when stressed or injured |
| Diet | Carnivore, small planktonic animals | Carnivore, plankton and small crustaceans |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean, coastal |
Crystal Jellyfish vs Immortal Jellyfish: common questions
Which jellyfish is linked to a Nobel Prize, the crystal jellyfish or immortal jellyfish?
The crystal jellyfish is the one linked to a Nobel Prize, since its production of green fluorescent protein led to a Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognising the molecule's transformative impact on scientific research.
Which jellyfish can reverse its own ageing process?
The immortal jellyfish is the one capable of this, able to revert from a stressed or injured adult back into a juvenile polyp stage through a process called transdifferentiation, a trait the crystal jellyfish does not share.
Which jellyfish is larger, the crystal jellyfish or the immortal jellyfish?
The crystal jellyfish is considerably larger, with a bell measuring a few centimetres across compared with the immortal jellyfish's bell, which is only about 4.5 millimetres wide.