The moon jelly is among the most widespread jellyfish in the world, recognisable by its pale, translucent bell and four horseshoe-shaped markings visible through its body. It grows to around 70 cm across, though specimens may reach larger sizes in productive waters. Moon jellies drift with currents in coastal zones, estuaries, and even occasionally in open ocean, and tolerate a wide range of salinities and temperatures. They feed on tiny plankton and organic particles, drawing water through their bell in a steady pulsing rhythm.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Cnidaria
- Class
- Scyphozoa
- Order
- Semaeostomeae
- Family
- Ulmaridae
- Genus
- Aurelia