Image
Moon, Jelly (Aurelia aurita)

Is Food Too
(1 of 6) (6837 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160220_BCY_2223.jpg

The Moon Jelly is food for the Ocean Sunfish, Leatherback Sea Turtle, the Fried Egg Jelly, and the Crystal Jelly.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:20 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_2223
Add a comment or report a mistake

Short Tentacles
(2 of 6) (6850 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160210_BCY_2223.jpg

As can be seen, its tentacles are very short, yet are still capable of trapping prey to eat.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:10 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_2223
Add a comment or report a mistake

Four Round Shapes
(3 of 6) (10010 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160209_TNT_0599.jpg

The top is translucent, usually about 10 to 16 in (25 to 40 cm) in diameter. Its hallmark is a pattern of four round gonads that are easily visible through the top of its bell.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:09 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Terry Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #TNT_0599
Add a comment or report a mistake

Life In Months
(4 of 6) (6853 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160221_BCY_2224.jpg

The Moon Jelly only lives for a few months in the wild, but can survive for years in captivity.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:21 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_2224
Add a comment or report a mistake

Shows Its Inside
(5 of 6) (6806 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160226_BCY_2227.jpg

One Moon Jelly inverted and allowed a nice view into its interior. It dissolves its prey and diffuses the result inward.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:26 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_2227
Add a comment or report a mistake

Prefers Temperate Temperatures
(6 of 6) (6820 views)

./Moon_Jelly_20101020_160227_BCY_2228.jpg

The Moon Jelly prefers temperate seas (9 degrees Celsius to 19 degrees Celsius) with consistent currents. It has been found in waters with salinity as low as 6 parts per thousand.

Moon Jelly external link (Aurelia aurita)   •  Or common jellyfish or saucer jelly   •  Monterey Bay Aquarium external link internal link   •  886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 20 October 2011)   •  (Photo taken 16:02:27 Wednesday 20 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_2228
Add a comment or report a mistake
Subscribe to our mailing list for a Sunday summary of the week's stories.
* indicates required
Email Format
home • contact • topic guide • top 25 • photos • video • writing • blogs • upload • terms • privacy