Scyphozoan Communication?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

In the statblock for the scyphozoan from The Thirteenth Gate, they have Common and their own language listed. Given there's no specific text in their entry mentioning things like bioluminescence or stuff like with the equally aquatic stelliferas (or Mass Effect's hanar, whose speech is specifically described as a technology-based translator converting their normal bioluminescence-based communication into hearable speech), can it be reasonably assumed that scyphozoans communicate through vocalization? And if that's the case...HOW?! They're walking JELLYFISH!

[Pantshandshake]

Off the top of my head, part of the bell vibrates, like vocal cords, and being malleable, also serves as the mouth/tongue/lips/teeth portion by changing shape, size, and density to modulate the vibrations to produce something like speech.

[Claxon]

Maybe they have a mouth someplace.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Claxon wrote:

Maybe they have a mouth someplace.

If they're anything like regular jellyfish, they should. Right at the bottom of their bell surrounded by their tentacles. Doubling as an anus.

[Claxon]

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

Claxon wrote:

Maybe they have a mouth someplace.

If they're anything like regular jellyfish, they should. Right at the bottom of their bell surrounded by their tentacles. Doubling as an anus.

I was going to say, yeah technically its not a mouth the way we think of it, but they do have a hole that goes to a body cavity. But I wasn't really going to get into anatomy of real jellyfish, versus what a space jellyfish would have.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Claxon wrote:

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

Claxon wrote:

Maybe they have a mouth someplace.

If they're anything like regular jellyfish, they should. Right at the bottom of their bell surrounded by their tentacles. Doubling as an anus.

I was going to say, yeah technically its not a mouth the way we think of it, but they do have a hole that goes to a body cavity. But I wasn't really going to get into anatomy of real jellyfish, versus what a space jellyfish would have.

Right, but these are important questions! Does the scyphozoan have lungs or gills to account for its amphibious trait? How does it maintain its shape out of water, since jellyfish rely on their buoyancy for that? Does having their mouth and anus as the same orifice mean they talk a lot of crap!?

[Claxon]

I think the "how does it maintain shape?", "how does it breath?", and "how does it think(without having a central nervous system)?" are probably more important (but less interesting than) "does it talk crap?"

[Xenobiologist]

I would also ask How does it hold itself up with nothing but skinny tentacles? Does it have antigravity?

[pithica42]

Cue gif of spongebob rainbow...

Magic!

[Xenobiologist]

What I really mean is, are they related to Flumphs?