Jelly blubber

Jelly blubber
Jelly blubber in Port Phillip Bay, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Rhizostomeae
Family: Catostylidae
Genus: Catostylus
Species: C. mosaicus
Binomial name
Catostylus mosaicus
Quoy & Gaimard, 1824

The jelly blubber (Catostylus mosaicus), also known as the blue blubber jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish from coastal regions in the Indo-Pacific. It is the most commonly encountered jellyfish along the Australian eastern coast and large swarms sometimes appear in estuarine waters.

Description

Blubber Jellyfish at Monterey Bay Aquarium showing two of the color variations (blue and brown) possible in this species.

In Sydney waters, the jelly blubber's large bell is a creamy white or brown colour, but farther north in Australia it is usually blue.[1] The colours are derived from pigment produced by the jellyfish itself (not symbiotic algae, as in some other jellyfish).[2] There is no obvious mouth on the underside, but there are small openings on each arm, through which food is passed to the stomach.[3] The tentacles also have stinging cells that can capture tiny crustaceans and other plankton. It grows to a diameter of 30–45 cm (12–18 in).[3]

The sting can be painful but generally poses no serious risk to humans.

Blubber jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Jellyfish Experience"

Distribution and habitat

This jellyfish is found in coastal parts of the Indo-Pacific. In Australia, it occurs off the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It can also enter intertidal estuaries.[4]

Food

Eats mainly plankton, small fish, some crustaceans, and small particles in the ocean water.

References

  1. ↑ "Catostylus mosaicus". Julian Rocks. Archived from the original on 2010-06-25.
  2. ↑ Georgia Aquarium: Blubber jelly. Animal Guide. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Blubber jelly". Monterey Bay Aquarium. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  4. ↑ "Catostylus mosaicus (Quoy & Gaimard)". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
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