Moon Jellyfish are wonderful sea creatures. They are translucent animals that can grow to be 16 inches in diameter. They are quite large and colorful jellyfish. Moon jellyfish are usually transparent or milky white, although they can be blue, red or orange. They are named for the circular patterns on their bell, which resemble the phases of the moon. Typically, they spend their time swimming on top of the water with its four whip-like tentacles hanging down underneath it. They have four pairs of swimming tentacles with ragged edges, and a small mouth surrounded by lobes known as oral arms. The base of each tentacle is covered by stinging cells called cnidocytes, which look like one or more large jellyfish larvae.
If you are one of the moon jellyfish lovers, then you must want to know some cool facts about moon jellyfish to broaden your knowledge. In this article, we will share some interesting facts about moon jellyfish that may surprise you. Get ready because there are a lot more facts to reveal!
Table of Contents
- 1. Moon Jellyfish Eat Meats
- 2. They Can Survive In Any Condition
- 3. They Travel In Smacks For Breeding
- 4. Moon Jellyfish Live Without Brain
- 5. Sea Creature Which Can Barely Swim
- 6. Their Polyps Can Live Up To 25 Years
- 7. They Have Both Sexual and Asexual Reproduction
- 8. Moon Jellyfish Can Glow In The Dark
- 9. Moon Jellyfish Defensive Weapon
- 10. They Don’t Need Light To Live
- 11. They Can Grow Up To 16 Inches In Diameter, Depend On Their Food Intake
- 12. Moon Jellyfish Often Found Dead On Shore
- 13. Swimming With Moon Jellyfish In Lake Palau
- 14. You Can Touch and Pet Moon Jellyfish
- 15. They Serve as Marine Ecosystem Unbalance Indicator
1. Moon Jellyfish Eat Meats
Did you know that moon jellyfish are meat eaters? In fact, moon jellyfish are carnivores. As you may expect, they aren’t picky eaters and will eat anything that sticks to their tentacles. Mollusks and plankton, as well as fish eggs and shrimp, are favorites of moon jellyfish. They have a huge stomach and will consume whatever they can find floating about.
Moon jellyfish are both predators and prey in the wild. Large predators, such as sea turtles and the wacky ocean sunfish, enjoy them since their tentacles don’t affect them. Moon jellies are eaten by humans in some regions. The bells are frequently dried before being rehydrated and seasoned with soy sauce and rice vinegar.
2. They Can Survive In Any Condition
Moon jellyfish are found on almost every ocean on the planet. They can live in both warm and cold water, and their numbers are vast in Canada and Europe. Their numbers have actually increased in recent years, owing to the extinction of many of their natural enemies due to overfishing.
Although moon jellyfish prefer a warm environment and often live near coastlines in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, these species can survive in both salty and brackish water. They have the best chance of surviving in water that is between 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. They Travel In Smacks For Breeding
Moon jellyfish are gregarious organisms, something you might not think. Moon jellyfish swim around in groups throughout the waters. The “smacks” are the name for these groups. The swarm of moon jellyfish is part of a breeding scheme for the marine predators, who are known for their stinging tentacles. During the summer, moon jellyfish will try to breed with each other on a daily basis. Many of them will die as a result of this procedure, which consumes a lot of energy.
4. Moon Jellyfish Live Without Brain
In fact, members of the moon jellyfish species have no brains, hearing, heart, blood, eyes, or any of the other organs that humans have. Moon jellyfish are composed mostly of three components: 95% water, a mouth, and a digestive system. Aside from that, they have a nerve system that is unique to them. Swimming is controlled by a big neural net, while all other actions, such as feeding and spasm response, are controlled by a small nerve net.
Furthermore, they also do not have lungs and must breathe via their membrane. Their bodies are delicate and translucent, and their tentacles are covered in thousands or millions of minute stinging cells. Moon jellyfish use them to shock and attract their prey.
5. Sea Creature Which Can Barely Swim
Moon jellyfish are obviously aquatic species, yet the truth is that they can’t even swim. In fact, moon jellyfish contain muscles that allow them to move, but solely in order to keep near to the water’s surface. They migrate across the oceans by relying on ocean currents.
Jellyfish typically swim at a speed of two centimeters per second. Although they are capable of moving faster with their tentacles, this does not help them capture prey. Therefore, they use the tentacle-waving “swimming” action which depends on the ocean.
6. Their Polyps Can Live Up To 25 Years
In an aquarium, moon jelly adults can survive for more than a year, while polyps can live for up to 25 years. Polyps are little stalked animals with one end attached to the ground and the other extending into the water, surrounded by a ring of tentacles around the mouth or anus. The jelly has a fully developed digestive system and is capable of catching prey and feeding itself efficiently at this stage. They will wait for favorable conditions to complete the stages of growing into a jellyfish.
According to a new study, moon jellyfish may age backward, spawn hordes of clones, and recover damaged body parts. A hole rips through his body, yet it quickly closes and heals. The tissues of an appendage are chopped off and grow back properly. He has the ability to regenerate to the point of immortality.
7. They Have Both Sexual and Asexual Reproduction
The life cycle of the moon jelly includes both sexual and asexual reproduction. The moon jelly polyp produces asexually budged jellyfish. Adult jellyfish generate eggs and sperm, which combine to form a polyp.
Moon jellyfish breed all year, however mating intervals are determined by environmental factors. The moon jelly reproduces when the medusae reaches sexual maturity, which usually occurs throughout the summer and fall months for a period of 2-3 months.
8. Moon Jellyfish Can Glow In The Dark
Since moon jellyfish are bioluminescent, they definitely can glow in the dark. A chemical mechanism within a living organism produces bioluminescence, which is light. When a chemical called luciferin combines with oxygen, it produces a glow. Light is emitted as a result of the discharge of energy. The reaction is aided by an enzyme called luciferase.
They can be found shining blue or pink in deeper waters or as a way of communication with other jellies. Predators of moon jellyfish may mistake a floating plastic bag for a jellyfish and consume it instead.
9. Moon Jellyfish Defensive Weapon
Moon jellyfish have a color adaptation that helps them conceal themselves from predators. They can turn transparent once they find a threat. It’s a sort of camouflage that lets them hide from predators even when there’s no shelter in the open ocean.
In addition, their tentacles contain mildly poisonous nematocysts or sting cells that assist repel predators. On the tentacles of jellyfish, nematocysts can be detected. This toxin isn’t strong enough to kill or gravely harm a human. It is, however, unpleasant and irritating, which is sufficient to dissuade most predators.
10. They Don’t Need Light To Live
Unlike the other animals who need light for a better living environment, moon jellyfish prefer to live without it. This is beneficial to moon jellyfish since the absence of light decreases the problems of algae, diatoms, and other aquarium annoyances.
Many jellyfish species, unlike many other cnidarians, are not photosynthetic and rely only on feeding to meet their energy requirements. They can sense or “see” light, but they are not reliant on it for survival. Moon jellyfish are the most common jellyfish found in aquariums today, and they thrive well in poorly illuminated environments.
11. They Can Grow Up To 16 Inches In Diameter, Depend On Their Food Intake
Moon jellyfish are almost totally translucent, with a diameter of 10-16 inches with a fringe of short tentacles. The four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the top of the bell help to identify them. Moreover, they are around seven inches in diameter and three inches tall on average.
Moreover, the size also depends on their food intake. If a moon jellyfish is starving, it absorbs its own tissue and shrinks. When food becomes available, they return to their usual size.
12. Moon Jellyfish Often Found Dead On Shore
The moon jelly can be found all around the epipelagic zone, but it is most prevalent near the coast and in upwelling zones, where its prey is in higher quantities. Because this species is not a powerful swimmer, they frequently wash up on beaches after big storms or high tides. Cooler water temperatures have also been linked to a large number of jellyfish deaths.
Usually, moon jellyfish travel in groups, and rough winds, swells, and currents might bring them all to shore at the same time. It makes a perfect location for predators. Moon jellies, like other jellies, are a favored meal of open ocean predators such as ocean sunfish and leatherback turtles.
13. Swimming With Moon Jellyfish In Lake Palau
In fact, in certain regions, swimming with moon jellyfish is a famous tourist attraction. You may swim with moon jellyfish in the famed Lake Palau in the Philippines. Swimming with jellyfish may provide you with a new viewpoint on these interesting and lovely creatures.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about safety in case you are afraid that they will harm you. The moon jellyfish have evolved to have nearly no sting due to their isolation in an essentially predator-free habitat, and are hence safe to contact with. It creates one of the world’s most unusual swimming experiences.
14. You Can Touch and Pet Moon Jellyfish
In case you wonder if moon jellyfish are touchable? Yes, you can touch them once you find them in the ocean. The half-circles in the middle of the moon jelly’s bell, which are reproductive tissues, make it easy to identify. They are safe to touch since their sting is not strong enough to pierce human skin. Therefore, do not be panicked if you are touched or stung by a moon jellyfish.
Moreover, you can pet these sea creatures. The most popular jellyfish species to keep is the moon Jellyfish. They are common because of their calming movements and white translucent hue. In terms of maintenance, they are also relatively easy to pet.
15. They Serve as Marine Ecosystem Unbalance Indicator
Moon jellies are neither endangered or threatened, however they can be used to detect unbalanced marine ecosystems. They can survive and thrive in generally inhospitable seas, unlike other larger species such as moon jelly predators. This means that when the health of the ocean deteriorates, moon jelly populations may increase.
This is especially true in settings and ecosystems where human-caused phenomena such as overfishing, ocean warming, acidification, and pollution are present. Choosing sustainably sourced seafood and lowering our energy use are some simple things we can do to keep moon jelly populations under control. Therefore, we will also keep the ocean healthy.
