Chrysaora hysoscella

Compass jellyfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Semaeostomeae
Family: Pelagiidae
Genus: Chrysaora
Species: C. hysoscella
Binomial name
Chrysaora hysoscella
(Linnaeus, 1766)

Chrysaora hysoscella, also known as the compass jellyfish, is a very common species of jellyfish that lives in coastal waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, including near the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey. It is also known from the southern Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of South Africa and False Bay[1]It has a diameter of up to 30 cm. Its 24 tentacles are arranged in eight groups of three. It is usually colored yellowish white, with some brown.[2] It usually has 16 markings on the bell resembling elongated v's, surrounding a central brown spot. Its mouth is located at the bottom center of the bell, between 4 larger tentacles. They are known to sting.[3]

Habitat

It is usually found relatively close to shore.[3] They inhabit these waters mostly at the top of the water column,[4] and although the inhabit shallow water, they move up and down in the water column often ranging from surface waters to just above the seabed.[5]

Video of the Chrysaora hysoscella (compass jellyfish) from the Monterey Bay Aquarium

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
  2. ↑ Basic information for Chrysaora hysoscella (Compass jellyfish), accessed March 14, 2008
  3. 1 2 "Compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella)". Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Sparks, Conrad; Buecher, Emmanuelle; Brierley, Andrew S.; Axelsen, Bjørn E.; Boyer, Helen; Gibbons, Mark J. (2001). Jellyfish Blooms: Ecological and Societal Importance. Springer Netherlands. p. 275-286. ISBN 978-94-010-3835-5.
  5. ↑ Hays, Graeme C.; Doyle, Thomas K.; Houghton, Jonathan D. R.; Lilley, Martin K. S.; Metcalfe, Julian D.; Righton, David (27 January 2008). "Diving behaviour of jellyfish equipped with electronic tags". Journal of Plankton Research. Oxford University Press. 30 (3): 325–331. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbn003. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
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