The genus is named in honour of Eliza Catherine Jelly (1829–1914), of Cornwall, England, in honour of her contributions to the study of bryozoans.[1][2]
Jellyella closely resemble Membranipora, and in common with other members of the family Membraniporidae has twinned ancestrular zooids. However, Jellyella can be distinguished by the presence of intricately branched processes (called spinules) projecting into the zooidal chambers. Jellyella also have a calcitic skeletal ultrastructure made up of transversely arranged, elongate spindles.[1]
Jellyella is unusual in being a pseudoplanktonic bryozoan found encrusting floating objects, both natural and artificial.[1] Jellyella eburnea is common on shells of the squid Spirula (which become detached from the soft body of the squid after death) and on the shells of the planktonic gastropod Janthina.[1]
Jellyella tuberculata grows on the floating alga Sargassum,[1] and on flat-bladed kelp and other seaweeds around the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. In Cape waters it is preyed upon by the crazed nudibranch, Corambe sp.[3]