TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Semaeostomeae
Family: Pelagiidae
Genus/species: Chrysaora fuscescens
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The sea nettle is a giant, semitransparent jellyfish, with an amber-colored, swimming bell commonly as large as 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter, with some measuring more than a meter. In addition to four oral arms attached to the underside of the mouth, the sea nettle has 24 long tentacles around the perimeter of the bell that extend up to 4 m (13 ft).
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Marine, found along the westcoast of North America from Mexico to British Columbia.
DIET IN THE WILD: Carnivorous; feeds on zooplankton, small crustaceans, comb jellies, fish eggs and larvae. Sea nettles sting their prey with their tentacles, which have millions of microscopic stinging cells that inject toxins to stun or kill tiny animals. The main oral arms then transport food to the heart-shaped gastric pouches in the bell, where digestion occurs.
PREDATORS: In the medusa stage, sea nettles live from 2–6 mos, usually perishing in rough waters or being eaten by predators— ocean sunfish and leatherback turtles are two of the most prevalent jellyfish predators.
REMARKS: Question: What has no heart, bones, eyes or brain, is made up of 95% water, and yet
is still a remarkably efficient ocean predator? (The jellyfish) Some jellies commute 3,600 feet (1,097 m) up and down in the water column daily!
Sea nettle stings can result in extreme localized pain. Fortunately this jelly is not aggressive.
The bell of this and other jellies is called a “medusa” because, with its long, fringing tentacles, it resembles the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa of Greek mythology.
Venomous, Plankton/Sea Drifters
References
California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium 2018
Monterey Bay Aquarium www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/invertebrates/se…
Rons flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157610031545571/…
Rons WordPress Shortlist wp.me/p1DZ4b-PM
10-2-18
