Under adverse conditions, the benthic stages may survive as dormant podocysts. Many species of jellyfishes, having sessile stages in their life cycles, are neritic in distribution. In that species, the planula develops directly into an ephyra and no bottom-dwelling scyphistoma stage exists. Four orders are currently recognized in the Scyphozoa. The Stauromedusae are small, goblet-shaped, sessile scyphozoans that adhere to algae, rocks, shells, and other hard substrates, usually by a peduncle.
Most species inhabit cold waters.
The Coronatae are marked by a distinctive groove around the umbrella of the medusa. Many coronates are heavily pigmented inhabitants of deep water. Their scyphistomae resemble hydroids and are protected by a chitinous tube. Coronates are unlikely to be encountered in the immediate vicinity of Woods Hole, although species such as Atolla wyvillei and Periphylla periphylla occur well offshore at bathyal depths. These species have tentacles along or beneath the margin of the umbrella, long, frilly oral arms hanging down from the mouth.