Quick Facts
- Type
- Other
- Size
- 10–40 cm bell diameter
- Weight
- Mostly water; a few hundred grams
- Habitat
- Coastal seas and harbors worldwide
- Diet
- Plankton, small fish, and eggs
- Active Time
- Drifts day and night
- Lifespan
- About 6–12 months
Field Notes
- Moon jellyfish have no brain, heart, or blood, just a simple nerve net.
- The four rings visible in the bell are the animal's reproductive organs.
- Their sting is so mild that it is usually harmless to humans.
About the Moon Jellyfish
The moon jellyfish is a common, translucent jellyfish found in coastal waters around much of the world. Its pale, saucer-shaped bell is easily recognized by the four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the top. Rather than long stinging tentacles, it has a short fringe of fine tentacles and drifts with the currents, catching plankton and small prey in a layer of mucus. Its sting is very mild and usually harmless to humans. Like all jellyfish, it has no brain, heart, or bones, sensing its world through a simple nerve net.
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