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Animal profile

Moon Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita

ScyphozoaCoastal and shelf waters, harbours and estuaries in temperate and tropical seas

Field profile

The moon jellyfish has a flat translucent bell with four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the top and a fringe of short fine tentacles. It is the jellyfish most often seen in aquariums and harbours. It tolerates a wide range of salinity and temperature.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-09-17

Moon Jellyfish

A moon jellyfish is about ninety-five per cent water

Between its two thin cell layers sits mesoglea, a jelly of water held in a protein and sugar mesh. A stranded moon jelly on a beach effectively evaporates, leaving a film that is a small fraction of the animal's original volume.

Read with evidence →

Moon Jellyfish | Daily Animal Facts