Are jellyfish male or female?
Mia Horton
Updated on January 23, 2026
Jellyfish are usually either male or female (with occasional hermaphrodites). In most cases, adults release sperm and eggs into the surrounding water, where the unprotected eggs are fertilized and develop into larvae.
Can jellyfish switch genders?
No switching is necessary. Other species of jellyfish – sequential hermaphrodites – are either male and then female, or vice-versa, but not both simultaneously. These are natural transgender jellyfish. No special treatment is necessary.How do jellyfish mate?
In this species, a male will use his tentacles to grab a female's tentacles; he will then drag her around for a while before pulling her in close to him. Next, he will produce and release a spermatophore (sperm packet), and use his tentacles to pass it to one of the female's tentacles.Do male jellyfish have babies?
Jellyfish reproduce both sexually and asexually. One generation (the medusa) reproduces sexually and the next generation (the polyp) reproduces asexually.Do jellyfish have babies or lay eggs?
There are two main ways that jellyfish reproduce and if the conditions are favourable they can do this daily. There are a few jellyfish species that receive sperm through their mouths to fertilise eggs inside the body cavity, but most jellyfish just release sperm or eggs directly into the water.Jellyfish 101 | Nat Geo Wild
Does a jellyfish poop?
Any waste – that's poop – then comes back through the mouth. That's because jellyfish only have one opening into their stomach, so waste comes out the same opening as food goes in.Can jellyfish live forever?
Scientists have discovered a jellyfish which can live forever. The Immortal Jellyfish known scientifically as Turritopsis dohrnii is now officially known as the only immortal creature. The secret to eternal life, as it turns out, is not just living a really, really long time.How are jellyfish born?
Just like butterflies, which that are born from the transformation of caterpillars, jellyfish are born by asexual reproduction from polyps that – unlike caterpillars – remain alive for many years.How long is a jellyfish pregnant for?
Gestation in JellyfishJellyfishes have a gestation period of 2 – 3 days. They have an average gestation period of 2 days. The life of a jellyfish begins in the tentacles of the mother as a small egg, from which an oval-shaped larva called a planula is born.