Moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, also known as moon jelly, common jellyfish, and saucer jelly.
Moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, also known as moon jelly, common jellyfish, and saucer jelly. This jellyfish is one of more than ten morphologically nearly identical jellyfish species in the genus Aurelia. It is a cosmopolitan genus found throughout most of the world's oceans. The medusa is translucent, usually about 25-40 cm across, and can be recognized by its four horseshoe-shaped gonads that are easily seen through the top of the bell. It feeds by collecting medusae, plankton and mollusks with its mucusy bell nematocyst-laden tentacles and bringing the prey into its body for digestion. These jellyfish are capable of only limited motion. Like other jellyfish, it primarily drifts with the current even when it is swimming.
Size: 4416px × 4076px
Photo credit: © Scott Camazine / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: animal, aurelia, aurita, floating, jellyfish, marine, medusa, moon, organism
