In oceans worldwide; common along most coasts and
inshore seas
Habitat:
Warm, tropical waters; bays, estuaries (where a large
river meets the sea), and open ocean
Natural Diet:
Plankton, mollusks, crustaceans, and eggs
Zoo Diet:
Brine shrimp, commercial jellyfish diet, and black
worms
Physical
Characteristics:
The body, or bell, of a moon jellyfish is an average of
three inches in height and six to eight inches across. The whitish,
translucent saucer-shaped body can have a slightly blue or pink tone.
Many short, finger-like stinging tentacles hang down from the body. Long
feeding arms grab food and bring it back into the mouth, which is found
in the center of the underneath side
Behavior:
Moon jellyfish float near the water surface, just off
of the shore or in large harbors. They swim by pumping their bell-shaped
body. These jellyfish swim mainly to keep at the right level in the
water, as they make little progress against strong currents.
Reproduction:
After fertilization, the larvae settle on the seafloor
and grow into polyps (a hollow, tube-shape body). For up to 25 years the
polyps switch between feeding and reproductive stages. In the
reproductive stage, tiny medusae (free-swimming jellyfish) bud off from
each polyp and grow into adults.
Notes:
Moon jellyfish are one of the most common types of
jellyfish and often get washed up on beaches during high tide or after a
storm. Also, the color of a moon jelly depends on its diet. They are
pink or lavender if they eat crustaceans. They are an orange tint
if they’ve been eating brine shrimp.
Video:
Click the play button to see how zoo keepers feed the jellyfish. Thanks to
Ball State University zoology students for production of the video. Note:
This video is silent.
