Lion’s mane jellyfish

Lion’s mane  jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is the largest species of jellyfish, with its bell uo to 12 m across and tentacles up to 10 m long. They’re amongst the oldest animals on Earth (they’ve been here for 650 million years). Lion’s mane fish lives short -only for one year.

It’s native to Cold waters of the Arctic, Northern Atlantic, Northern Pacific, a pelagic species found in open ocean waters, with higher salinity. This species earned its name from its red and yellow tentacles, which resemble the color of a lion’s mane.The size of the Lion’s Mane jellyfish also determines the coloration of the specimen. The largerindividuals are a brilliant crimson to dark purple, while smaller tend to be tan or a lighter orange. Lion’s manes eats almost everything, from the tiniest zooplankton—little critters and fish larvae and such that drift in the open ocean—to smaller jelly species and even their own kind.

Jellyfish find environments affected by human activity favorable. Overfishing, climate change and pollution have helped promote more frequent jellyfish swarms while reducing the jellies’ main predators and competitors and increasing their prey. They are not dangerous to humans, however, their stings can be painful.

• Sanz‐Martín, M. et al. (2016) “Flawed citation practices facilitate the unsubstantiated perception of a global trend toward increased jellyfish blooms.” Global Ecology & Biogeography, 25: 1039-1049.
• Condon, Robert H., et al. (2013) “Recurrent Jellyfish Blooms Are a Consequence of Global Oscillations.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110: 1000–1005.