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ANIMAL SPECIES:Moon Jelly
The Moon Jelly is a common ocean animal and can sometimes be extremely abundant.
Identification
It has a transparent jelly-like bell with four horseshoe-shaped, pinkish reproductive organs that surround a square mouth. At each corner of the mouth a feeding tentacle hangs down into the water below.
Size range
40 cmDistribution
Moon Jellies are found throughout Australia.
Habitat
Moon Jellies live in oceans, coastal waters and estuaries.
Behaviour and adaptations
Feeding and Diet
At each corner of the mouth in Moon Jellies a feeding tentacle hangs down into the water below. These are equipped with stinging cells (nematocysts) to capture small prey that are dragged inward towards the mouth.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The outer edge of the Moon Jelly's bell also has tentacles, as well as eight special sensory organs that tell the jellyfish where it is in the water column. Currents may sweep many of these jellyfish into sheltered bays and they are often washed up on beaches.
Predators, Parasites and Diseases
The Moon Jelly is one of the favourite foods of many species of turtles.
Classification
- Species:
- aurita
- Genus:
- Aurelia
- Family:
- Ulmaridae
- Order:
- Semaeostomeae
- Class:
- Scyphozoa
- Phylum:
- Cnidaria
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
Dr
Stephen Keable
, Collection Manager, Marine Invertebrates
Last Updated: 6 April 2011
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Moon Jelly View full size
Dr Isobel Bennett
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recent comments
Greyface Moray, Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
Hi rling. You are right! Thank you for pointing this out. The spelling of thyrsoideus has been corrected...
Greyface Moray, Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
Apparently a common misspelling of "Gymnothorax thyrsoideus".
http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=399889
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2 comments
user
7.05 PM, 10 May 2010
I was wondering if Moon Jellyfish were able to be pets for australians
jenny-gruber
10.06 PM, 08 June 2009
We often see Moon Jellyfish floating down Lane Cove River in Sydney (see the attached photo). But I had no idea that they were the favourite food of turtles!
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