The Chrysaora colorata is found mostly in the Monterey Bay. They are mostly found along the beaches. The population is rising fast which means that there is going to be a lot of stinging. On the beach, in Monterey, a woman said, “They are all over the place if you run into them it would be impossible not to get stung.” In Monterey bay the population is big. They are losing count of the size of the big population.

 

C. colorata can grow up to 4 feet tall. The bell is up to 70cm in diameter. The baby’s tentacles can be 4-5 meters long. The very old ones can have flowing oral arms and have thickened, pale skin. The large C. Colorata bells have pigment patterns and the younger ones have a pale pinkish bell that has the dramatic stripes and patterns. The young ones have long thin dark maroon tentacles, which are a more subdued color in the adults. The Purple Striped Jellyfish like to feed on zooplankton. They also like to prey on copepods, larval fish, ctenophores, salps, other jellies, and the fish eggs like most sea animals do.

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There aren’t that many predators of the purple striped jellyfish. The ocean sunfish is a predator of C. Colorata. Did you know that the jellies move with their bells? They pulse the bell to move a short distance. If they want to go a long distance they ride a current. They are related to other jellyfishes, sea anemones, coral.

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Author: Jocelynn A

Published: 03/2008

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Sources: www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/08/09/news/top_stories/ 8805193045.txt Written by: Gig Conaughton and Louise Esola www.jellieszone.com/pelagia.htm http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=1&inhab=441 http://www.metridium.com/

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Photo Credit: Sami Laine