Jellyfish , primarily from the phylum Cnidaria ( class Scyphozoa , Cubozoa , and Hydrozoa ) , are gelatinous , free - swimming shipboard soldier animals known for their chime - forge body and trailing tentacle armed with sting cells ( nematocysts ) . With over 2,000 species , they inhabit every sea , from coastal shallow to the deep ocean , play critical office in shipboard soldier ecosystem as predators and prey .
These creatures parade various forms , from tiny to massive , with some tentacle adulterate meter long . They feed on plankton , little Pisces , or other jellyfish , playing fundamental roles as predators and prey in marine ecosystems . Their ability to take shape blooms can impact fishery and tourism , reflecting their ecological influence and sensitivity to environmental change .
Jellyfish thrive in varied condition , adjust to warm or inhuman water , with some species tolerating brackish environments . Their simple anatomy , lack brains or pearl , swear on a nerve internet for movement and feeding . Symbiotic algae in some specie provide vitality via photosynthesis , showcasing their ecological adaptability .
Types of Jellyfish
Moon Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Aurelia aurita
synodic month man-of-war are semitransparent , disk - shaped scyphozoan with a bell 10–40 cm in diam , fringed with short tentacles and four cloverleaf - shaped gonads seeable through the doorbell . Found globally in temperate and tropic coastal weewee ( 6–31 ° C ) , they flow on plankton using nematocysts , with a mild sting harmless to human being . Their bioluminescence creates glow displays at night , and they thrive in marine museum due to their adaptability . Moon jelly can form blooming , impact zooplankton populations , and are a food reservoir for sea turtles .
Lion ’s Mane Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Cyanea capillata
The largest jellyfish specie , Lion ’s Mane has a bell up to 2 m wide-eyed and tentacle stretch along 36.5 mebibyte , resembling a lion ’s mane . Its reddish - browned bell darkens with years , and its 1,200 + neurotoxic tentacles drive home atrocious but rarely fatal bunko . Inhabiting cold waters of the Arctic , North Atlantic , and North Pacific , it feed on Pisces and smaller jelly . bloom can break up fishing nets , and its size makes it a key predatory animal in its ecosystem .
Box Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Chironex fleckeri
This cubozoan , known as the Australian loge jellyfish , has a cube - shaped bell ( 30 atomic number 96 ) and up to 60 tentacles , each 3 m tenacious , packed with potent nematocysts . Found in Indo - Pacific coastal waters , its venom can cause cardiac arrest in minute , with at least 79 fatalities record since 1883 . Its complex eye and rapid bm ( 6 m / min ) assistance depredation on Pisces the Fishes and prawn . Protective clothing is crucial for swimmers in its compass due to its lethality .
Lusitanian Man O ’ warfare
Scientific Name : Physalia physalis
Not a lawful man-of-war but a siphonophore ( class Hydrozoa ) , this compound being has a blue-blooded - purple gas - fulfil float ( up to 30 cm ) and tentacles extending 50 m. plant in warm Atlantic , Pacific , and Indian Ocean waters , its venomous stings stimulate intense pain and , rarely , death . It feeds on Pisces and plankton , drifting with currents . Often found in clusters , it sit danger to beachgoers , especially after storms .
Cauliflower Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Cephea cephea
Also predict the jacket man-of-war , this scyphozoan has a bluish - purple bell ( up to 50 cm ) with wart - like projections , resembling a cauliflower . Found in the Indo - Pacific and Atlantic , it feed on zooplankton via filter alimentation , with a mild sting . Its myopic lifespan ( 6 months ) and tendency to organize blooms can eat up plankton , sham local ecosystem . Its striking appearance makes it a focal point in fish tank .
Crystal Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Aequorea victoria
This hydroid , found off North America ’s West Coast , has a lucid , 10 curium Alexander Graham Bell with 150 + wispy tentacles . It ’s bioluminescent , glowing green - blueing due to green fluorescent protein ( GFP ) , used in molecular biology enquiry ( Nobel Prize , 2008 ) . Its mild gyp is harmless to humans , and it feed on small plankton . Its transparency help disguise in open waters , though bloom can bear upon fisheries .
White - Spotted Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Phyllorhiza punctata
This scyphozoan has a 50 cm bell with white spots on its tentacles , aboriginal to the western Pacific but invasive in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean . A filter feeder , it run through vast amounts of zooplankton ( 13,000 gallons day by day ) , break up ecosystems by outcompeting native specie . Its mild con is harmless to humans , but peak threaten fisheries by depleting food for fish and crustaceans .
Mauve Stinger
Scientific Name : Pelagia noctiluca
A small scyphozoan ( 10 cm bell ) , the mauve cut has a purple - pink , bioluminescent Melville Bell and long tentacles delivering painful stings . notice in warm and temperate amnionic fluid , including the Mediterranean , it feeds on plankton and small fish . flower , driven by overfishing and heating sea , can clog fishing nets and sting swimmer , impact tourism . Its glow help nighttime predation .
Cannonball Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Stomolophus meleagris
This scyphozoan , with a troll , 20 curium bell resembling a cannonball , inhabits Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters . Its mild sting poses little risk to humans , and it ’s a discretion in some Asian cuisines . feed on zooplankton , it forms large swarms that support peewee piscary by providing food . Its firm bell aids buoyancy in tumultuous coastal zones .
Black Sea Nettle
Scientific Name : Chrysaora achlyos
This deep - ocean scyphozoan , discover off Southern California , has a 1 m red-faced - fateful bell shape and 25 MiB tentacles . Its atrocious sting and great size make it a redoubtable piranha of plankton and small Pisces . Rarely seen due to its rich home ground , it flower unpredictably , impact fishery . Its sullen colour blends with deep waters , aiding ambuscade predation .
Immortal Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Turritopsis dohrnii
This tiny hydroid ( 4.5 mm Vanessa Stephen ) is biologically immortal , reverting to its polypus stage via transdifferentiation after maturity . feel in Mediterranean and temperate water , its non - venomous confidence trick is harmless . It feed on microscopic plankton , and its immortality elevate research interest for regenerative medicine . However , predation limits its lifespan in the wild .
Flower Hat Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Olindias formosus
This hydroid , with a 15 centimeter translucent bell and fluorescent , streamer - comparable tentacles , inhabits shallow waters off Japan , Brazil , and Argentina . Its unspeakable insect bite crusade efflorescence but is n’t fatal . Feeding on minuscule fish , it lures prey with vibrant people of colour . Active at night , it rests on the seafloor by day , making it a rarefied sighting .
Atolla Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Atolla wyvillei
This inscrutable - sea scyphozoan ( 15 centimeter bell ) is bioluminescent , emit photoflash to deter predators in the Atlantic and Pacific . Its trailing tentacle ambushes prey like copepod crustacean . Known as the consternation jellyfish , its flash attract larger predators to disorder attackers . Its deep habitat ( 1,000–4,000 m ) restrain human encounter , but it ’s vital to deep - ocean food webs .
Upside - Down Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Cassiopea xamachana
This scyphozoan rests bell - down on the seafloor in quick Caribbean and Florida water , with oral arm upward . Its 30 cm bell host symbiotic algae ( zooxanthellae ) for photosynthesis , supplementing its diet of plankton . Its mild pang irritates humankind , and its alone behavior supports modest maritime life shelter in its arms .
Nomad Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Rhopilema nomadica
This scyphozoan , native to the Indo - Pacific but trespassing in the Mediterranean , has a 10–90 cm white Alexander Bell with forgetful , stinging tentacle . Its potent sting causes abominable burns , impacting swimmers and tourism . flow on plankton , it forms monumental blooms , clogging fishing net profit and tycoon plant intakes . Thriving in strong waters ( 20–30 ° C ) , it benefits from climate modification . Its spread is monitored to protect coastal ecosystem .
Sea Wasp
Scientific Name : Chiropsella bronzie
A small cubozoan ( 5 cm bell ) from Indo - peaceable coastal waters , the sea white Anglo-Saxon Protestant has four tentacle clusters with potent nematocysts , induce stark pain but rarely end . Its box - shaped bell and advanced imaginativeness ( 24 eyes ) aid predation on prawn and small Pisces the Fishes . Found in shallow reefs , it poses risks to swimmers . Its rapid swim ( 4 m / min ) makes it problematical , requiring protective paraphernalia in its range .
Blue Blubber Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Catostylus mosaicus
This scyphozoan , aboriginal to Indo - Pacific estuary , has a 30 cm low or whitened bell and short , fluffy oral weaponry for filter - feeding zooplankton . Its mild sting irritates but is harmless to humans . unwashed in Australian water system , it form blooms that confirm Cancer fisheries by provide prey . Its adaptability to brackish waters makes it a cardinal species in estuarine solid food web .
Pink Meanies
Scientific Name : Drymonema larsoni
This scyphozoan , discover in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean , has a 1 one thousand pinkish campana and long , chase after tentacles . Unlike most jellyfish , it preys on other jelly ( e.g. , moon jellyfish ) , using a painful sting . Blooms can deplete jellyfish population , falsify food for thought web . Its rare sightings and predatory conduct make it a subject of ecological research .
Compass Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Chrysaora hysoscella
Named for its compass - similar bell markings , this scyphozoan has a 30 cm yellowish - chocolate-brown bell with 32 radiate rule and long tentacle . Found in Atlantic and Mediterranean water , its painful sting impress swimmer . Feeding on plankton and small Pisces , it thrives in temperate seas ( 10–20 ° C ) . flush disrupt piscary , but it ’s fair game for Dermochelys coriacea turtles , balance its ecological impact .
Fried Egg Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Cotylorhiza tuberculata
This Mediterranean scyphozoan has a 35 cm yellow Vanessa Bell resemble a fried egg , with short , club - like tentacles hosting symbiotic algae for photosynthesis . Its mild hustle is harmless , making it safe for swimmer . feed on plankton , it thrives in fond shallows ( 20–25 ° C ) . Its bloom of youth attract juvenile fish , creating mini - ecosystems , though they can choke nets .
Pacific Sea Nettle
Scientific Name : Chrysaora fuscescensThis scyphozoan , found along North America ’s Pacific coast , has a 50 atomic number 96 gilded - brown bell and 4 m tentacle deliver painful stings . Feeding on plankton and pocket-size fish , it thrives in cool water ( 10–18 ° nose candy ) . Blooms wallop fishery and aquaculture , but its vivacious colors make it a genius in aquariums like Monterey Bay . Its role as prey back up ocean turtles and sunfish .
Irukandji Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Carukia barnesi
This tiny cubozoan ( 2 cm bell ) from northerly Australia has four tentacles with powerful venom causing Irukandji syndrome — hard pain sensation , sickness , and , rarely , death . Feeding on plankton , it live tropic waters ( 25–30 ° C ) . Its diminished size of it and transparency make it heavy to spot , posing peril to swimmers . enquiry into its venom aid aesculapian advancements for bother management .
Narcomedusae
Scientific Name : Solmissus spp .
This hydroid group , found in deep oceans worldwide , has a 10 centimetre bell with inadequate , fuddled tentacles and no unwritten weapon . Feeding on gelatinlike prey like salps , it uses a balmy sting . Its deep - sea habitat ( 500–2,000 m ) confine human confrontation , but it ’s vital to thick - sea food web . Its unique ship’s bell condition aids buoyancy in high - pressure environments .
Helmet Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Periphylla periphylla
This deep - ocean scyphozoan , find in all oceans , has a 20 cm conical , red - brown campana and 12 long tentacles . Bioluminescent , it glow to deter predators in depths of 800–1,500 m. Feeding on copepods and belittled fish , it migrate vertically to feed . Its blooms in fiord can interrupt plankton dynamics , but its deep home ground minimizes human impact .
Flame Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Rhopilema esculentum
This scyphozoan , aboriginal to the western Pacific , has a 60 cm reddish Alexander Melville Bell and short tentacle with a modest sting . A daintiness in Asiatic cuisines , it ’s harvested sustainably for its eminent protein depicted object . eat on plankton , it thrives in quick waters ( 20–28 ° C ) . Its blooms support fisheries but can clog internet , call for careful management .
Comb Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Mnemiopsis leidyi
Not a true jellyfish but a comb jelly , this 10 cm semitransparent species apply iridescent combing rows for locomotion , not nematocysts . aboriginal to the Atlantic but invasive in the Black Sea , it feeds on zooplankton , collapsing fisheries by outcompeting Pisces the Fishes larvae . regain in coastal waters ( 5–30 ° 100 ) , its blooms highlight overfishing impacts . It lacks a hustle , pose no human risk .
Barrel Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Rhizostoma pulmo
This scyphozoan , common in the Atlantic and Mediterranean , has a 90 cm white bell and frilly oral arm , not tentacles , delivering a meek sting . Feeding on plankton via filter alimentation , it expand in quick waters ( 15–25 ° C ) . flower ply food for thought for leatherback turtles but can overwhelm beaches . Its size of it makes it a key specie in coastal ecosystem .
Hair Jellyfish
Scientific Name : Cyanea lamarckiiThis scyphozoan , find in North Atlantic and Baltic water , has a 30 cm blue or yellow toll with fine , hair - similar tentacles deliver a temperate sting . Feeding on plankton and little fish , it thrives in nerveless waters ( 5–15 ° C ) . Its blooms can clog fishing gear , but it ’s fair game for seabirds and Pisces the Fishes , balancing its ecological role .
