and October. Female C. tuberculata are internally fertilized with sperm from the moutharm appendages of their male counterparts, and after a gestation period, eventually release large numbers of planulae into the water. With age, the adult C. tuberculata become increasingly damaged, mainly in the central dome of their top umbrella area. While the leading cause of medusa damage is wave-driven and wind-driven abrasion, the next most prominent modes of injury are anthropogenic. Motor boats and fishing nets are prominent causes of injury for these cnidarians, often leading to severe damage. This harm is a mild setback for jellyfish that have not yet finished growing, and when they are able to regenerate the injured anatomy, it often grows back asymmetrically. Older fried egg jellyfish are distinguished by their physical deterioration; their mesoglea are often delicate with a visibly broken exumbrella, and their coloration fades significantly. Relationships with microorganisms Symbiosis The endosymbiotic, photosynthetic algae which C. tuberculata hosts in its body are paramount to the jellyfish's prosperity. These mutualistic microorganisms are also known as zooxanthellae, originating from the dinoflagellate phylum, and they commonly engage in symbiotic relationships with many types of jellyfish. While the cnidarian hosts provide shelter for these symbionts, the dinoflagellates in return use their photosynthetic abilities to provide the C. tuberculata with energy for usage and storage. Fatty acids, for example, are the primary macromolecules for energy storage in cnidarians, and mainly are obtained from their carbon-fixing symbionts. This mutualistic relationship is so crucial to the Mediterranean jellyfish's growth and survival that the preliminary step of premature medusa formation will not initiate without the presence of zooxanthellae. Feeding C. tuberculata primarily consume minuscule aquatic organisms, often a mixture of phytoplankton and zooplankton. They do not demonstrate a very high feeding diversity on the taxonomic level; it has been recorded that anywhere between 69% and 82% of their diet consists of organisms associated with the genus Spiroplasma. These prokaryotes have also been found in the diets of several other jellyfish species. Furthermore, the C. tuberculatas diet likely consists of only three to four main taxa of microplankton. The jellyfish takes in these tiny organisms through its moutharms, from where they travel to its stomach. The interconnectedness of the Mediterranean jelly and its surrounding waters allows for an easy flow of plankton into its gastric cavity. Effects on humans One of the main issues created by annual blooms of C. tuberculata