Moon Jellyfish
Scientific Name: Aurelia aurita
Category: other
Brief Description
A saucer-shaped translucent jellyfish with four distinct horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the top of its bell.
Characteristics
Identifying features include a translucent white bell, four clover-shaped reproductive organs (gonads), and short fringe-like tentacles around the bell margin. They appear to glow under artificial lighting in aquariums.
Habitat
Coastal waters, estuaries, and bays. Found globally in temperate and tropical oceans.
When to Find It
Often found in large blooms during late spring and summer months when water temperatures rise.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Ecological Role
They serve as a primary food source for predators such as sea turtles (especially leatherbacks) and sunfish. They also help control plankton populations.
Easily Confused With
Cannonball jellyfish (more spherical/opaque) and Fried Egg jellyfish (distinct yellow center). Moon jellies are distinguished by the four rings in the center of their bell.
Observation Tips
In the wild, avoid touching them as they have mild stinging cells (nematocysts), though they are generally harmless to humans. In aquariums, they are best viewed under polarized or color-changing lights to see their internal structure.
Interesting Facts
Moon jellyfish are roughly 95% water and have no brain, heart, or blood. They use their cilia to move food toward their mouths.