Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita
The common moon jellyfish is a round saucer shaped creature with a fringe of small tentacles around its edge, and has very little colour other than its sexual organs. They can be spotted any time of year and are usually found washed up on shore.
Conservation status in Norfolk
Not threatened.
How to help
Support the marine campaign for better protection of marine wildlife and habitats.
Paul Naylor
Information on the Moon Jellyfish
How to recognise
The moon jellyfish is a round saucer-shaped creature usually 7 to 20 cms in diameter. It has no colour except for the four horseshoe-shaped sexual organs in the centre of its body - which are usually purplish-blue or violet in colour. It has a fringe of small tentacles around its edge.
Where to see
Moon jellyfishes are common all around the British coast but they tend to appear in varying numbers from year to year. Some years they can turn up in massive numbers in one area while in other areas they may be completely absent for several years. Although they usually live out at sea, after storms and onshore winds they may be found in rock pools, estuaries or washed up on beaches.
When to see
Most are seen washed up on beaches in summer and early autumn.
Did you know?
Moon jellyfish are not harmful to humans but they are carnivorous. Their main source of food is plankton which they catch in the mucus on their bodies. Lots of tiny hairs on the body (called 'cilia') move the plankton to the edge of the bell by beating to create currents. The arms then pick the plankton off and pass it to the mouth.
Moon jellyfish are part of the phylum Cnidaria which has been around for at least 680 million years. This means that moon jellyfish are related to sea anenomes, hydra and corals.
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