Moon Jellyfish
A Brief Overview of the Moon Jellyfish
The moon jellyfish is also called the common sea jelly, and the saucer jelly. They have very lovely coloring, which often includes streaks, spots and patterns. They propel themselves by pulsing the upper part of the animal, which is shaped like a bell. They use their limited swimming ability to stay at the surface more so than to progress from one point to another underwater. They keep the bell near the water's surface, which allows their tentacles to be spread over wider areas. In this manner, they are able to catch more food.
The moon jellyfish can be found in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They generally stay near the coastline, and in warmer or tropical waters, although they are hardy enough to tolerate temperatures from near twenty degrees Fahrenheit to almost ninety degrees Fahrenheit. The moon jellyfish can be found in the oceans as well as inland seas. They are particularly fond of brackish water, and can usually be spotted near reefs or coastal areas.
The moon jellyfish is a carnivorous animal, and its main diet is zooplankton. They will eat protozoans, crustaceans and mollusks, as well as the eggs from egg-layers that live in the same waters. Generally, the feed animals tend to become entangled in the mucus on the surface of the moon jelly. They are then moved by currents along canals in the jelly's body, which run to the stomach. The moon jellyfish also can kill prey animals by stinging them with its tentacles.
The adult moon jellyfish is typically translucent, and usually reaches a size of twenty-five to forty centimeters across. Each adult has four brightly-colored gonads under its stomach. They are shaped like horseshoes. The moon jelly does not have any organs to breathe from, as we know them, like gills or lungs. It breathes by moving oxygen from the water through its membranes. Water with high oxygen content enters a cavity in the jellyfish, and it expels low-level oxygenated water.
Many predators will eat the moon jellyfish, including sea turtles, fish and certain birds. The Ocean Sunfish and the Leatherback Sea Turtle are two types of predators that feed on the jelly. Humans also consume moon jellyfish, particularly in the coastal areas of Southeast Asia.
The moon jellyfish can also be found in waters off the Atlantic coast of the United States. They can be seen in the waters or on the beach at Assateague Island. Their looks remind tourists of a large plastic lens, with a four-leaf-clover outlined in the center (these are actually the gonads). They can generally be handled without being stung. They are beautiful creatures to watch, as they use the ocean currents to move and to gather their prey.