What is true about the medusa form of cnidaria?

Study for your DIVE Biology Quarterly Exam 3. Prepare with engaging quizzes, flashcards, and multiple choice questions, each question includes hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

The medusa form of cnidaria is characterized by its ability to swim, which it accomplishes by expanding and contracting its bell-shaped body. This method of locomotion allows the medusa to move through the water by pushing it downward, which propels the organism upward. The shape of the medusa, with its flexible bell, facilitates this movement and enables it to navigate its aquatic environment effectively.

The other options do not accurately describe the medusa form. It is not anchored to a surface; instead, medusae are typically free-floating or swimming organisms. Unlike the polyp form, which is sessile and attached to a substrate, medusae can drift and swim in the water column. While some organisms have undefined shapes, medusae exhibit a more characteristic bell shape with radial symmetry, distinguishing them from those forms that lack defined symmetry. Additionally, the feeding mechanism of medusae does not involve absorbing nutrients from the environment; instead, they capture prey using their tentacles and specialized cells called cnidocytes, which contain stinging structures.

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