By: Nicole Dias

Cnidaria and Asteroidea

Somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean in a small city called Invertebrata, lived a jellyfish named

Cnidaria Scyphozoa.

Cnidaria was your typical jellyfish. She loved drifting in the ocean currents with her friends and snacking on the fish and zooplankton that became snared in her tentacles.

She was a happy creature with one big problem; a bully named Asteroidea Echinodermata.

Please don’t let her find me….

Asteroidea was a starfish and she loved to cling her radially symmetrical body to rocks during the low tide and slowly creep across the ocean floor using the tube feet on her five arms almost as much as she loved to tease Cnidaria.

Asteroidea was a starfish and she loved to cling her radially symmetrical body to rocks during the low tide and slowly creep across the ocean floor using the tube feet on her five arms almost as much as she loved to tease Cnidaria.

I wonder where Cnidaria is…

Asteroidea would constantly make fun of Cnidaria’s bell-shaped body, and would call her stupid because like all jellyfish Cnidaria lacked a brain.

Ha ha, you don’t have a brain so you must

be stupid…

Please stop…

I can regenerate anyone of my arms,

can you?

You know I can’t…

She would constantly brag that unlike Cnidaria, she could regenerate any one of her arms if she ever happened to lose one.

Every day Cnidaria would come home in tears after being tormented by Asteroidea and would cry as her mother tried her best to console her.

What’s the matter honey?

Asteroidea called me stupid.

Finally one morning Cnidaria woke up and realized enough was enough. She came up with an idea to give Asteroidea a taste of her own medicine.

I’ve got it!!!

That afternoon she waited patiently for Asteroidea and soon enough she came creeping in. She then immediately started in on Cnidaria’s “goofy looking” tentacles.

Your tentacles are so goofy looking….

That is when Cnidaria did something she had never in her life done before. She looked Asteroidea dead in the eye and said, “I’d rather have goofy looking tentacles than arms covered in ugly spines”.

I’d rather have goofy looking tentacles than arms covered in ugly

spines..

“I am sorry I hurt your feelings,” “I didn’t mean what I said, I just wanted to show you

how hurtful words can be”.

Asteroidea turned away and did something Cnidaria did not expect, she began to cry. Cnidaria slowly drifted toward Asteroidea and said, “I am sorry I hurt your feelings,” “I didn’t mean what I said, I just wanted to show you how hurtful words can be”.

Asteroidea sniffled back her tears and said, “It is me who should be apologizing to you.” “I never realized that what I thought was funny was actually hurting you”.

“It is me who should be apologizing to you.” “I never

realized that what I thought was funny was actually hurting you”.

From that day on Asteroidea never said another hurtful word to Cnidaria and the two girls realized that they enjoyed being friends far more than they did being enemies.

Cnidaria, wanna come play with

me?

Sure, let’s go!!