I hate how often this gets reposted like it’s a single organism.
After it reverts to a polyp there might be a dozen new jellyfish, not “the same immortal jellyfish”.
The transforming medusa is characterized first by deterioration of the bell, mesoglea, and tentacles. All immature medusa (with 12 tentacles at most) then turn into a cyst-like stage and proceed to transform into stolons and polyps. However, about 20–40% of mature medusa instead proceed to the stolons and polyps stage without passing the cyst-like stage. Polyps are formed 2 days after stolons have developed and fed. Polyps further multiply by growing additional stolons, branches, and then polyps to form colonial hydroids. In one experiment, they would eventually transform into stolons and polyps and begin their lives once again, even in the absence of environmental changes or injury.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii
Even if it stayed the same singular amount of jellyfish, it wouldn’t be the same one.
But when one jellyfish turns into multiple identical ones, it should be pretty obvious none of them are the original.
The jellyfish of Theseus.
Be more like if Theseus cut his ship in half, then rebuilt both halves into two full ships…
Which is how starfish work actually.
Asexual reproduction via cloning is very successful, so a lot of organisms can do it. It’s honestly not that weird even if they primarily use sexual reproduction.
