There’s this really cool animal called a moon jelly. It’s a jellyfish and it looks cool. You’ve never heard of it, well then here you go. I will be telling you all about it right now so get ready. Oh, the page doesn’t sting like this guy does, fortunately.

 

            The moon jelly is around 5-40 cm in diameter. It has a very delicate and exquisite coloration and pattern of streaks and spots. The outer edges are fringed with tentacles. Each moon jelly usually has 4-7 horseshoe-shaped gonads. The colors of a moon jelly range from red, blue, pink, and magenta.

            The moon jelly can be found in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Usually found near the coast. The moon jelly likes warm tropical waters but can withstand temperatures between -6-31 degrees Celsius, just in case. Usually found in large numbers. Aurelia aurita’s biomes are reef, tropical, coastal, freshwater, and lakes.

            Moon jelly is carnivorous and feeds on zooplankton. The food becomes entangled in mucus and then gets pulled, by flagellar action, to collect on the lappets. The food then moves again along 8 different canals, which are unique to this species, and then the canals branch off to the stomach. The predators of the moon jelly are certain birds, fish, and sea turtles. To name a few there’s the leatherback sea turtle and the ocean sunfish. Another major predator is us, the humans, especially in Southeast Asia.

            So did you learn anything? Spectacular. Now you can try to look for them when you go to the coast but don’t touch them or you’ll get stung. I think that it glows also. Well I’m glad that I could teach you something.

 

Author: Merritt K.

Published: 02/2013

 

Sources: eol.org/pages/203484/details

www.marinebio.org/species.asp?id=231

www.aquaticcommunity.com/jellyfish/moon.php

Picture Source: www.123rf.com/photo_11830880-aurelia-aurita-moon-jelly-moon-jellyfish-common-jellyfish-saucer-jelly--the-medusa-is-translucent-us.html