Jellyfish: The smart stinging creatures drifting through our oceans

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769px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/fried-egg-jellyfish-cotylorhiza-tuberculata-full-width.jpg.placeholder.1160.1160.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/fried-egg-jellyfish-cotylorhiza-tuberculata-full-width.jpg.thumb.1160.1160.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/fried-egg-jellyfish-cotylorhiza-tuberculata-full-width.jpg.placeholder.1160.1160.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/fried-egg-jellyfish-cotylorhiza-tuberculata-full-width.jpg.thumb.1160.1160.jpg" alt="A yellow jellyfish floats close to the ocean surface. It' body looks like a fried egg, with a domed orange centre."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="articlepage--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="articlepage--caption"> <p>Meet the fried egg jellyfish. <i>Cotylorhiza tuberculata</i> can reach up to 40cm across and is found in Aegean, Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. © Fernando M. 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You will be able to access your list from any article in Discover.</p> <p>You don't have any saved articles.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="saved-articles__footer-wrapper"> <button id="saved-articles__save-button" type="button" class="saved-articles__add-to-list">+ add current article to list</button> </div> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="section"> <div class="layout-row" data-columns="21">  <div class="article layout-column"> <div class="article--tags-header" data-gtm-component="hub-header"> <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/oceans.html">OCEANS</a> </div> <h1 class="article--title-header">Jellyfish: The smart stinging creatures drifting through our oceans</h1> <div class="article--secondary-info flow"> <div class="article--meta-container"> <div class="article--meta-author">By Holly Chetan-Welsh</div> </div> <div class="cluster"> <div class="social-icons-list"> <div class="social-share--container"> <div class="social-share--icons cluster"> <div class="facebook 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href="mailto:?subject=Jellyfish:%20The%20smart%20stinging%20creatures%20drifting%20through%20our%20oceans&body=http%3A//www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-a-jellyfish"> <svg width="28" height="28" viewBox="0 0 28 28" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="social-share--icon"> <circle cx="14" cy="14" r="14" fill="#333333"/> <path d="M22.9269 8.40756C22.9269 8.40756 22.7861 7.08155 21.4675 7.00002C21.1491 7.00002 10.0223 7.00002 10.0223 7.00002H6.51115C6.51115 7.00002 5.16957 6.9768 5.01465 8.40756C5.02208 8.415 9.39591 12.9117 9.39591 12.9117L11.0682 14.6305L12.0205 15.4899C12.0205 15.4899 13.5535 16.8602 15.2302 15.9268C15.2302 15.9268 15.4581 15.815 15.9266 15.4009C16.4092 14.974 20.4602 10.8598 20.4602 10.8598C20.4602 10.8598 22.8751 8.43729 22.9269 8.40756Z" fill="white"/> <path d="M22.9409 10.0391V17.047L19.4297 13.5505L22.9409 10.0391Z" fill="white"/> <path d="M5 10.0391V17.047L8.51142 13.5505L5 10.0391Z" fill="white"/> <path d="M9.33304 14.3785L11.0911 16.1402C11.0911 16.1402 11.8808 16.8758 12.2524 17.0073C12.2601 17.0229 14.0253 17.9364 15.8835 16.8835C15.8911 16.8758 16.3868 16.6124 17.4009 15.5751C18.4152 14.5376 18.5778 14.375 18.5778 14.375L22.9135 18.6875L22.9367 18.7184C22.9367 18.7184 22.805 20.0732 21.4346 20.0888C20.0643 20.1043 6.66243 20.0964 6.66243 20.0964C6.66243 20.0964 5.20681 20.1738 5.021 18.7028L9.33304 14.3785Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-gtm-component="like-button-top" class="article-likes-container"> <div class="like-container" data-page-path="/discover/what-is-a-jellyfish"> <a href="#" aria-label="Clap button for article likes" class="like-button-link" tabindex="0"> <span class="clap-svg"></span> <span aria-label="22 article likes" class="like-count js-like-count">22</span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article--introduction"><p>Jellyfish have survived for over 500 million years, making them <a href="/discover/when-did-dinosaurs-live.html">more ancient than the dinosaurs</a>.</p> <p>Today these otherworldly creatures can be found around the world, from coastal shallows to the ocean deeps. </p> </div> <div class="article--content"> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>Jellyfish are invertebrates – animals that don’t have a backbone – and belong to a group called Cnidaria. Some of their closest relatives include colourful corals and anemones. </p> <p>“Jellyfish are gelatinous and jelly-like,” explains <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/staff-directory/miranda-lowe.html">Miranda Lowe CBE</a>, our Principal Curator of Crustacea and Cnidaria.</p> <p>“They have a curved, bell-shaped body with tentacles hanging down from the underside. On this underside they also have a mouth and four oral arms, which are thicker than the tentacles.”</p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-floating-in-the-ocean-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A moon jellyfish floats through the ocean"/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>The moon jellyfish, <i>Aurelia aurita,</i> is the most common jellyfish species in UK seas. © HelloRF Zcool/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>Jellyfish come in incredible shapes, colours and sizes. Most jellyfishes’ bell-shaped bodies are between two centimetres and 40 centimetres across. However, some species can grow to more than two metres in diameter, with thin trailing tentacles that are even longer than that.</p> <p>Jellyfish have radial symmetry, meaning that if you sliced a jellyfish down the middle, the parts would be symmetrical, like the segments of an orange.</p> <p>These cnidarians are famous for their stinging abilities. The intensity of the sting varies by species.</p> <p>Some jellyfish can also generate their own light, called <a href="/discover/what-is-bioluminescence.html">bioluminescence</a> – further adding to their otherworldly beauty.</p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/atolla-jellyfish-model-nhm-life-in-the-dark-exhibition-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A model of an atolla jellyfish in a museum exhibition. The room is lit with hundreds of small blue lights to emulate bioluminesence. "/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>This is a model of the atolla jellyfish, <i>Atolla wyvillei</i>. This species uses bioluminescence like a burglar alarm. When under threat it makes swirling patterns of light to attract larger predators that may attack its attacker. This gives the jellyfish a chance to get away.</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h2>Do jellyfish have brains?</h2> <p>Jellyfish don’t have bones, brains, hearts, teeth or blood.</p> <p>However, what they do have is a network of nerves called a nerve net. This allows them to process information including light levels, temperature and chemical changes in the water around them.</p> <h2>How many species of jellyfish are there?</h2> <p>Jellyfish are sometimes called sea jellies. They belong to a group called Medusozoa which is divided into four classes: Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Cubozoa and Staurozoa.</p> <p>Comb jellies are also sometimes included in the broad sea jellies category. But these animals aren’t cnidarians. Instead, they belong to group of organisms called Ctenophora.</p> <h3>Scyphozoa</h3> <p>There are approximately 200 described species of scyphozoans. Most are free-swimming species with the characteristic bell-shaped body, also called a medusa.</p> <h3>Cubozoa</h3> <p>Cubozoans are more commonly known as box jellyfish. They differ from scyphozoan jellyfish because of their distinctive cube-shaped medusae and their tentacles are arranged around each of the four bottom corners of their body.</p> <p>There are around 45 species of box jellyfish and they include some of the deadliest venomous animals on Earth. They are also more active hunters than scyphozoans. The largest species, <i>Chironex fleckeri</i>, <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v591/p287-302/" target="_blank" aria-describedby="new-window">has been recorded</a> swimming at around five centimetres per second. </p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/box-jellyfish-kelp-forest-near-cape-town-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A box jellyfish floats through a kelp forest."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>Unlike other jellyfishes, box jellyfish have clusters of complex eyes on each corner of their cube-shaped body. © Katherine Wallis/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h3>Hydrozoa</h3> <p>There are some 3,600 species of hydrozoans. These are typically smaller than scyphozoan jellyfish. The polyp stage of their lives is usually more conspicuous than the small adult jellies.</p> <p>However, not all hydrozoans are considered jellyfish. For example, the famous Portuguese man o’ war is part of the class Hydrozoa but is known as a siphonophore. They are made up of groups of small animals living and functioning together as a colony with a mixture of polyp-like and jellyfish-like parts. </p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/siphonophore-portuguese-man-o-war-physalia-physalis-rockpool-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A Portuguese man o'war floating in a rockpool."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p><i>Physalia physalis</i>, also known as the bluebottle and Portuguese man o’ war, is a colony of four types of highly modified individuals working together to form a beautiful but fearsome hunter. © NFKenyon/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h3>Staurozoa</h3> <p>Staurozoans are also known as stalked jellyfish. They resemble their cousins the sea anemone or coral more closely than other jellyfish groups. Rather than drifting through the water, these jellies live attached to seaweed, rocks and other objects. </p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/stalked-jellyfish-staurozoan-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A stalked jellyfish attched to a piece of seaweed."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>There are around 50 species of stalked jellyfish. Most live in shallow and intertidal water, though some have been found more than 3,000m beneath the surface. © RLS Photo/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h2>How do jellyfish move?<br /> </h2> <p>Jellyfish often allow themselves to drift along in the water, but they can use their oral arms to pulse along in the ocean current if needed. But they are not strong swimmers. This is why jellyfish sometimes get washed up on the beach in large numbers after a storm.</p> </div> </div> <div class="tile section">  <div id="tile-ee5fb8862d" class="tile__content" style="--tile-backgroundColor: #AFCB37" data-layout="stacked" data-imgpos="right" data-ratio="twothirds" data-backgroundColor="#AFCB37" data-gtm-component="tile"> <div class="tile__body"> <div class="tile__heading"> <h3>Did you know?</h3> </div> <div class="tile__text"> <p>Most jellyfish live for only a few weeks, though some can live for a year or longer.</p> </div>  </div> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h2>What do jellyfish eat and how do they do it?</h2> <p>A jellyfish eats by stinging its prey and using the oral arms to waft the food towards its mouth – which is also its anus – and into its stomach.</p> <p>Jellyfish eat small fish, fish larvae, shrimp, tiny crustaceans such as krill and copepods, small shrimp-like organisms called amphipods and tiny plants such as algae. They will sometimes eat other sea jellies.</p> <p>They also forage food from other animals, notes Miranda. “They utilise the scraps of larger predators in the food chain such as sharks and <a href="/discover/sea-turtles-serene-marine-marvels.html">turtles</a>.”</p> <p>Jellyfish are eaten by leatherback sea turtles, fish such as <a href="/discover/how-to-restore-a-sunfish.html">ocean sunfish</a> and grey triggerfish, some seabirds such as fulmars, <a href="/discover/whale-sharks-worlds-biggest-shark.html">whale sharks</a> and some species of crabs and <a href="/discover/whales.html">whales</a>.</p> <p>They’re also <a href="/discover/eleven-extraordinary-foods-we-ll-be-eating-more-in-the-future.html">eaten by people</a>. Some species of jellyfish are considered a delicacy in countries in East Asia including Japan and China. </p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/chinese-jellyfish-and-vegetable-dish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A bowl filled with pieces of jellyfish and vegetables. "/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>In China, some species of jellyfish have been fished and eaten as a delicacy for around 1,700 years. © KOHUKU/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>In fact, jellyfish may become an increasingly common food source around the world, as overfishing is making some fishes harder to come by. </p> <p>But researchers have noted that peoples' willingness to include jellyfish in their diet is affected by a variety of factors, including age, gender and even travelling habits. Food neophobia – the reluctance to eat new foods – is another barrier, found across consumers in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329318310346" target="_blank" aria-describedby="new-window">Italy</a>, <a href="https://kobra.uni-kassel.de/handle/123456789/13336" target="_blank" aria-describedby="new-window">Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950329324000685?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" aria-describedby="new-window">Latin America</a>.</p> <h2>How do jellyfish sting?</h2> <p>“Jellyfish have stinging cells called nematocytes,” explains <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/staff-directory/ronald-jenner.html">Dr Ronald Jenner</a>, our Principal Researcher in venom evolution.</p> <p>“They have thousands of these along their tentacles. The stinging cells contain a microscopic harpoon filled with toxins. When a jellyfish hunts, or wants to defend itself, these harpoons can be triggered to shoot out, penetrate the skin of the victim and inject toxins into them.”</p> <p>Jellyfish stings can cause a burning pain, so people often reach for ice to soothe them. However, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160420151826.htm" target="_blank" aria-describedby="new-window">scientists have reported</a> that using a heat pack or dunking the sting in water as hot as you can comfortably stand may actually be better. “It’s counterintuitive, but it can bring relief,” says Ronald.</p> </div> </div> <div class="tile section">  <div id="tile-49a5e3ec41" class="tile__content" style="--tile-backgroundColor: #AFCB37" data-layout="stacked" data-imgpos="right" data-ratio="twothirds" data-backgroundColor="#AFCB37" data-gtm-component="tile"> <div class="tile__body"> <div class="tile__heading"> <h3>Jellyfish stings</h3> </div> <div class="tile__text"> <p>Visit <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jellyfish-and-other-sea-creature-stings/" target="_blank">the NHS website</a> for information on what to do if you are stung by a jellyfish or other sea creature. </p> </div>  </div> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>But not all jellyfish sting and some jellyfish stings aren’t harmful to humans.</p> <p>Some creatures take advantage of jellyfishes’ stings <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery/2020-jelly-nanny">to protect themselves from predators</a>. So-called ‘Medusa’ fish hang out among the tentacles of a jellyfish to nibble on scraps and avoid being eaten by bigger fish.</p> <h2>How do jellyfish reproduce?</h2> <p>Jellyfish change form significantly as they move through their life cycle.</p> <p>“Jellyfish release eggs and sperm into the ocean where they get fertilised,” explains Miranda.</p> <p>“The fertilised egg changes into a free-swimming larva. Then the larva matures into a polyp, which finds a hard surface such as rock to fix itself to. These polyps mature until they develop and bud off into a young free-swimming jellyfish.”</p> <h2>Interesting jellyfish species</h2> <p>Jellyfish are a fascinating group. Have you come across these species before?</p> <h3>Lion’s mane jellyfish </h3> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cyanea-capillata-lions-mane-jellyfish-tentacles-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A lion's mane jellyfish with its hundreds of very thin tentacles flowing out beside it."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>This striking jellyfish is so named for the way its flowing underparts resemble a lion’s mane. © RLS Photo/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>The Lion’s mane jellyfish, <i>Cyanea capillata</i>, is the largest known jellyfish. They’re found in the Arctic, North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. They’re often seen in waters around the UK and Ireland.</p> <p>The lion's mane jellyfish's tentacles can reach over 30 metres in length – that’s longer than a <a href="/discover/news/2017/july/museum-unveils-hope-the-blue-whale-skeleton.html">blue whale</a>.</p> <h3>Upside-down jellyfish</h3> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/cassiopea-upside-down-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="An upside down jellyfish rests on the seafloor, with it's tentacles pointing towards the water's surface. "/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>The upside-down jellyfish and its resident algae are an example of a <a href="/discover/mutualism-examples-of-species-that-work-together.html">symbiotic relationship</a> between two organisms. © Mr. James Kelley/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>Upside-down jellyfish belong to the genus <i>Cassiopea.</i></p> <p>These clever jellyfish have algae living on their underside. They will often sit inverted in tropical shallows so their algae can photosynthesise. The by-products of photosynthesis provide most of <i>Cassiopea</i>’s food requirements.<b></b></p> <h3>Immortal jellyfish</h3> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/tiny-immortal-jellyfish-turritopsis-dohrnii-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="An immortal jellyish floats through the ocean."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>The immortal jellyfish’s extremely rare ability to revert to an earlier stage in its life cycle is called transdifferentiation. © Karajohn/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>The remarkable hydrozoan <i>Turritopsis dohrnii</i> is considered <a href="/discover/immortal-jellyfish-secret-to-cheating-death.html">biologically immortal</a>. It can revert from its mature adult form into an earlier stage of its life cycle and redevelop into a new mature jellyfish when conditions are more favourable.</p> <h3>Fried egg jellyfish</h3> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/mediterranean-fried-egg-jellyfish-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="A jellyfish with a body that looks like a fried egg floats near the ocean's surface"/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>With its yolk-like body, this jellyfish gets its common name from its resemblance to a fried egg – though there is more than one species that has earned this moniker. © Alexey Masliy/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <p>The fried egg jellyfish – <i>Cotylorhiza tuberculata </i>– is named for its distinctive domed, yolk-yellow body.</p> <p>This jellyfish is mostly found in the Aegean, Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. It has rather short oral arms and feeds mainly on zooplankton and other jellyfish.</p> <h2>What are jellyfish blooms?</h2> <p>For the most part, jellyfish are solitary creatures, drifting through the ocean alone. However, sometimes huge masses of jellyfish, known as blooms, occur. These are the result of an explosion in a jellyfish population.</p> <p>Human influence is often involved in this phenomenon. For instance, overfishing can deplete the ocean of a jellyfish’s natural predators, allowing them to reproduce in disproportionate quantities.</p> <p>Chemical run-off that finds its way into the ocean can also provide nutrients that cause a boom in jellyfish populations.</p> </div> </div> <div class="foundation5image parbase section"> <div> <figure class="mb-20 flow" role="group"> <picture> <source media="(max-width: 480px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.placeholder.480.480.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.thumb.480.480.jpg"/> <source media="(min-width: 481px)" srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-srcset="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg"/> <img class="lazy" src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.placeholder.768.768.png" data-src="/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/jellyfish/golden-jellyfish-bloom-palau-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg" alt="Hundreds of golden jellyfish floating near the ocean's surface."/> </picture> <figcaption> <div class="image--caption-container" data-caption-truncation> <div class="image--caption"> <p>Jellyfish blooms can chaos havoc – they’ve been known to clog up machinery in coastal power plants. © Ethan Daniels/ Shutterstock</p> </div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <div data-gtm-component="text"> <h2>How are jellyfish affected by climate change?</h2> <p>“Jellyfish are useful to monitor as a baseline indicator of what is <a href="/discover/will-the-ocean-really-die.html">going on in our oceans</a>,” says Miranda. “Because they are 95% water, jellyfish are very sensitive to chemical imbalances. That’s why we all have to be mindful of what we are putting into the oceans.”</p> <p>This includes <a href="/discover/the-plastic-problem.html">plastic waste</a>. Jellyfish consume tiny organisms, so they can be an entry point for <a href="/discover/what-are-microplastics.html">microplastics</a> into the ocean food chain. From jellyfish, microplastics find their way into bigger organisms such as turtles and tuna.</p> <p>By cutting down on single-use plastics, we can all help to ensure jellyfish, and the animals that rely on them, survive in our oceans for millions of years to come.</p> <p>Find out more by listening to episode six of the <a href="/discover/our-broken-planet-podcast.html">Our Broken Planet podcast.</a><b></b></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article--footer">  <div class="cluster ga-scroll-event-target"> <div class="social-icons-list"> <div class="social-share--container"> <div class="social-share--icons cluster"> <div class="facebook social-share--icon--container"> <a aria-label="Share on facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-a-jellyfish" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg width="28" height="28" viewBox="0 0 28 28" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="social-share--icon"> <circle cx="14" cy="14" r="14" 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Jellyfish: The smart stinging creatures drifting through our oceans | Natural History Museum