Jellyfish is also known as jellies or sea jellies or a stage of the life cycle of Medusozoa. Jellyfish have several different morphologies that represent several different cnidarian classes including the Scyphozoa (over 200 species), Staurozoa (about 50 species), Cubozoa (about 20 species), and Hydrozoa (about 1000–1500 species that make jellyfish and many more that do not). Jellyfish are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. Some hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusae, are also found in fresh water; freshwater jellyfish are less than an inch (25 mm) in diameter, are colorless and do not sting. The jellyfish is one of the wonders of marine life.
These are large beautiful and quite attractive colors but today we are discussing some of the most common known jellyfishes. Join me as we look at 17 of the most beautiful!
1. Breede River Jellyfish
This species forms large swarms in the Breede River during summer. The numbers decrease during autumn and by early winter they have disappeared.
2. White Spotted Jellyfish
Also called the Australian Spotted Jellyfish, these are native to the Pacific Southwest waters. Fairly large they generally consume snail species but they have become a concern in some areas because of the huge amount of water they filter, digesting plankton that some food fish and other fish need.
3. Black Sea Nettle
The black sea nettle (Chrysaora achlyos), sometimes informally known as the “black jellyfish” due to its dark coloration, is a species of jellyfish that can be found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is a giant jellyfish, with its bell measuring up to 1 m (3 ft) in size, and its oral arms extending up to 6 m (20 ft) in length.The sea nettle is radially symmetrical, marine, and carnivorous.
4. Diplulmaris Antarctica
Diplulmaris antarctica is a species of jellyfish in the family Ulmaridae. This species grows to approximately 4 cm wide. Diplulmaris antarctica has 16 – 48 laterally compressed, white tentacles. It has reddish-orange stomach gastrodermis and flilled oral arms of the same colour.This jellyfish is normally infested with Hyperiella dilatata. These hyperiid amphipods appear as white dots on the surface of the bell, and do not appear to eat the medusa.
5. Atolla Wyvillei
The Atolla jellyfish (Atolla wyvillei) is a species of deep sea-dwelling crown jellyfish. It is red-brown color.
6. Porpita Porpita
Porpita porpita, commonly known as the blue button, is a marine organism consisting of a colony of hydroids found in tropical waters from California to the tropical Pacific, the Atlantic and Indian oceans It is often mistaken for a jellyfish, but although jellyfish and the blue buttons are part of the same phylum (Cnidaria), the blue button is part of the class Hydrozoa.
7. Crossota sp
A gorgeous red medusa that was found in the arctic just off the sea floor during the Hidden Ocean, Arctic 2005 exploration with the NOAA.
8. Blue Jellyfish
Cyanea lamarckii, also known as the Blue jellyfish or Bluefire jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Cyaneidae. This species is found in the pelagic zone off the west coast of Scotland, the North Sea and the Irish Sea, sometimes with the more common Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, (Cyanea capillata).Cyanea lamarckii has a blue or yellow tone and grows to approximately 10 to 20 cm, but specimens can grow to 30 cm. In Scandinavian seas this species rarely grows larger than 15 cm.This jellyfish has many stinging tentacles. The four mouth arms are large with many wrinkles and ripples.
9. Darth Vader or the Narcomedusae
Found in the Arctic, this is a fairly new discovered species with 4 tentacles and 12 stomach pouches. It swims holding out its poisoned tentacles in front, better to ambush prey.
10. Mediterranean or Fried Egg Jellyfish
This is a really strange but beautiful creature, which looks like a fried or poached egg and lives in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean seas. It is also one of the few jellies that can locomote on its own, not just relying on current.
11. Purple Striped Jellyfish
The purple-striped jelly is a species of jellyfish that exists primarily off the coast of California in Monterey Bay. The bell (body) of the jellyfish is up to 70 cm (27.6 inches or 2.3 feet) in diameter, typically with a radial pattern of stripes. The tentacles vary with the age of the individual, consisting typically of eight marginal long dark arms, and four central frilly oral arms.
12. Flower Hat Jellyfish
The flower hat jelly is a rare species of jellyfish occurring primarily in waters off Brazil, Argentina, and southern Japan. Characterized by lustrous tentacles that coil and adhere to its rim when not in use, the flower hat jelly’s bell is translucent and pinstriped with opaque bands, making it easily recognizable.
The flower hat jelly can grow to be about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. Its sting is painful but non-lethal to humans. Its diet consists mostly of small fish.
13. Cannonball Jellyfish
The cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) is a species of jellyfish in the family Stomolophidae. Its common name derives from its similarity to a cannonball in shape and size. Its dome-shaped bell can reach 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter and the rim is sometimes colored with brown pigment. These arms function as a way of propulsion and aid in catching prey. Cannonballs are prominent from North America’s eastern seaboard all the way to Brazil.
14. Blue blubber
The Jelly Blubber (Catostylus mosaicus), also known as the Blue Blubber Jellyfish, is the most commonly encountered jellyfish along the Australian eastern coast and large swarms sometimes appear in estuarine waters.
15. Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are among the most venomous creatures in the world. Stings from these and a few other species in the class are extremely painful and sometimes fatal to humans.
16. Cassiopea Jellyfish
Cassiopea is a genus of scyphozoan jellyfish very commonly found in shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, and turtle grass flats in Florida and various other similar environments around the world, where it lives usually upside-down on the bottom. Where found, there may be numerous individuals with varying shades of white, blue, green and brown.
17. Comb jellyfish
Comb jellyfish is, is not a jellyfish at all. Because Jellyfish as a species belong to the phylum, Cnidaria,Whereas, comb jellies are an entire separate phylum themselves called Ctenophora. The phylum is commonly derived from a common characteristic shared by the member species.