“Jellies” is a non-taxanomic term used to describe both true jellies (Phylum Cnidaria) and comb jellies (Phylum Ctenophora). Though these groups possess similar lifestyles and characteristics, they are actually members of entirely separate taxanomic groups. This diagram shows the diversity of forms that Cnidarians and Ctenophores exhibit, including solitary and colonial forms. Clockwise from upper left: immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii), moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), lobed comb jelly (Bolinopsis infundibulum), Venus girdle (Cestum veneris), box jellyfish (Carybdea sp.), and the hula skirt siphonophore (Physophora hydrostatica).

Illustration created for publication in The Ocean’s Menagerie (2025) by Drew Harvell.

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