Moon Jellies

Hi guys, today, I'm going to be presenting on Moon Jellies, or Aurelia labiata. They are up to 15 inches in diameter, and they are named for their circular, translucent bell. Instead of long, sweeping tentacles, these jellies have short, fine tentacles.

Moon Jellies eat small plankton, molluscs, crustaceans, fish eggs, and other small jellies. They use their tentacles to sweep prey into the mucous layer on the edges of the bell. The prey is then stored in pouches, until the jelly pulls them to it's mouth with it's oral arms and eats them. Interestingly, the color of this jelly depends on what it has been eating. An orangish tinge means that they have been eating Brine Shrimp. If it feeds exclusively on crustaceans, then it will have a pink or lavender tint.

They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters, and feed in quiet bays and harbors. They are common in the Monterey Bay, along the coast of California, in the waters of the East coast, Europe, Japan, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Moon Jellies, like other jellyfishes, overabundance indicates an unhealthy ecosystem. Scientists have found that they are most common when there are too many nutrients in the water, and not enough oxygen.

This species has not been evaluated by the IUCN.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Have a great day!

Here are my sources:

• https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/moon-jelly

• iucnredlist.org