Jellyfish & Ctenaria
Identity card
Native to Australia, it can now be found around the Hawaiian Islands, in the Caribbean, in Southern California.
It lives mainly in temperate waters near the coast, in estuaries and in the vicinity of ports.
Its umbrella measures between 30 and 50 cm in diameter
Zooplankton, fish eggs or larvae and small fish.
It is nicknamed the "floating bell" owing to the shape of its umbrella.
The Australian spotted jellyfish consumes an enormous amount of plankton. Where it becomes invasive, it can disrupt food webs and affect organisms that feed on plankton.
Scientists estimate that the Australian spotted jellyfish may ingest over 2,000 eggs per day. Jellyfish are cnidarians just like anemones and coral.
It lives mainly in temperate waters near the coast, in estuaries and in the vicinity of ports. It can be seen swimming close to the surface.
This Australian jellyfish can be recognised by its blue-tinged umbrella speckled with white spots. It has 8 oral arms with endings that branch out into the shape of a cauliflower. Its tentacles are located at the end of these oral arms.
Like all jellyfish, the Australian spotted jellyfish has tentacles that sting, but is not considered to be dangerous to humans. Its umbrella measures between 30 and 50 cm in diameter but can reach a record size of 70 cm.
It was accidentally introduced into the Gulf of Mexico. According to some sources, it was carried in the water tanks of ships.It is now considered an invasive species: its proliferation is responsible for the decrease in fish larvae and eggs.
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