Wildlife
Delicate and exquisitely coloured, common jellyfish gently drift with the ocean's currents. They’re also known as moon jellies. They have almost translucent saucer-shaped bodies with four bold purple-coloured circular reproductive organs at the centre. Despite their seductive appearance they are formidable predators, feeding on molluscs, crustaceans and worms. Their food is either trapped in the flowing mucus which covers the jellyfish's bell and passed to the oral arms by tiny hairs, or it is actively hunted using stinging tentacles. The stings are not powerful enough to penetrate human skin, so we cannot feel them. Occurring in huge numbers, these are the most common jellyfish found around British coasts. They are also prevalent in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
Scientific name: Aurelia aurita
Rank: Species
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Moons in Skye
Moon jellyfish pulsate past the portholes of a glass-bottomed boat.
Moon jellyfish pulsate past the portholes of a glass-bottomed boat.
Small beginnings
A phytoplankton bloom is a vital trigger for ocean life.
Phytoplankton are microscopic algae, which multiply with such amazing speed they produce more annual growth than all the plants on land put together. The immense bloom of phytoplankton spreads across the oceans and provides food for many creatures. One of those which benefits is the common jellyfish. These tiny polyps may look like anemones, but they are actually baby common jellyfish. Each separates from the stack of polyps and swims away. Eventually they will grow up and form huge swarms.
Scapa Flow jellies
Jellyfish stay away from the surface waters where it is too turbulent.
Jellyfish stay away from the surface waters where it is too turbulent.
The Common jellyfish can be found in a number of locations including: Europe, Mediterranean, North America, United Kingdom. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Common jellyfish distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Aurelia aurita (also called the moon jelly, moon jellyfish, common jellyfish, or saucer jelly) is a widely studied species of the genus Aurelia. All species in the genus are closely related, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus.
The medusa is translucent, usually about 25–40 cm in diameter, and can be recognized by its four horseshoe-shaped gonads, easily seen through the top of the bell. It feeds by collecting medusae, plankton and mollusks with its tentacles, and bringing them into its body for digestion. It is capable of only limited motion, and drifts with the current, even when swimming.
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Brackish water
Coastal
Estuaries
Intertidal zone
Shallow seas
Open ocean
Reefs
Predation defence
Adapted to swimming
Carnivorous
Colonial
Maternal care
Predator
Sessile
Venomous