jellies
egg yolk jelly
Scientific name: Phacellophora camtschatica
Family: Ulmaridae
Phylum: Cnidaria
Typical size: 60 centimeters in diameter with tentacles up to 7 meters long
Depth range: 0 to 300 meters
Description: Relatively large jellyfish species that have a yellow center, resembling a broken egg yolk, surrounded by white or translucent tissue.
Habitat and behavior: They live in temperate waters in the pelagic zone, sometimes floating to the surface and moving wherever the current takes them. They feed by collecting plankton with its tentacles, and bringing them into its mouth for digestion. The egg yolk jellyfish’s sting is mild to humans. Its medusa sometimes host tiny copepods.
lion’s mane jelly
Scientific Name: Cyanea capillata
Family: Cyaneidae
Phylum: Cnidaria
Typical size: 5 to 38 centimeter medusa diameter, up to 5 meter long tentacles
Depth Range: 0 to 20 meters
Description: Their coloration is bright red and orange. Their medusa is large and has many long stinging tentacles. The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest species of jellyfish.
Habitat and behavior: They float wherever currents take them and can only move vertically. They are generally found in mid-pelagic water but sometimes float on the surface.
moon jelly
Scientific Name : Aurelia labiata
Family: Ulmaridae
Phylum: Cnidaria
Typical Size: Up to 40 centimeters in diameter
Depth Range : 0 to 20 meters
Description: Small clear dome body with characteristic four lobed clover design. Small, short tentacles.
Habitat and behavior: Moon jellies float in the water and move wherever currents take them. This trait is true of all plankton, which jellyfish are considered. However, the moon jelly has adapted some directional swimming abilities. Moon jellies live in salt or brackish waters, and the coastal waters of all zones. They are fed on by other jellyfish including the egg yolk jelly and lions mane jelly.
water jelly
Scientific name: Aequorea sp.
Family: Cyaneidae
Phylum: Cnidaria
Typical size: Up to 17.5 centimeters
Depth range: unknown
Description: They have a clear medusa with white lines extending radially from the center. Short tentacles line the periphery of the medusa.
Habitat and behavior: They live from Southern BC to Washington and are known to be bioluminescent.