Sealife guideJellyfish: drifters of the oceanThe marine cnidarians

Last updated on 09/08/2025 at 11:26 PM
The barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo)
The barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) © | Dreamstime.com
Taxonomy
Description
Scyphozoans refer to the class of cnidarians that includes jellyfish. Scyphozoans comprise more than 4,000 species.
The name scyphozoan comes from scyphos meaning cup and zoon meaning animal.
Jellyfish are invertebrates with a gelatinous body consisting of a disc called a bell, with a mouth at its center surrounded by arms called oral arms.
The body of jellyfish is made of mesoglea, a mixture of collagen and water up to 95%, giving them their translucent appearance.
Anatomy of a jellyfish
Anatomy of a jellyfish
Jellyfish have fine, long tentacles around the bell equipped with stinging cells.
The 'fried egg' jellyfish gets its name from its resemblance to the dish of the same name!
The 'fried egg' jellyfish gets its name from its resemblance to the dish of the same name!
Jellyfish can move by propelling water through contractions of their bodies, but they are carried along by ocean currents.
It's hard not to feel 'tiny' in front of this gigantic black jellyfish during its occasional appearances in the coastal waters of southern California.
It's hard not to feel 'tiny' in front of this gigantic black jellyfish during its occasional appearances in the coastal waters of southern California.
Jellyfish fish like a trawler, using their stinging tentacles to capture any animals that cross their path.
Jellyfish reproduce by releasing their gametes into the water.
Geographic range
Jellyfish are found in all oceans and at all depths, from the surface where they are most common to the deep sea.
Jellyfish are invertebrates with a gelatinous body consisting of a disc called a bell, with a mouth at its center surrounded by arms.
Jellyfish are invertebrates with a gelatinous body consisting of a disc called a bell, with a mouth at its center surrounded by arms.
Did you know ?
Jellyfish bodies are made up of 95% water.
Lion's mane jellyfish, including tentacles, can reach over 230 feet long and 6.5 feet in diameter !
Sea turtles are the main predators of jellyfish.
Discover jellyfish
Atlantic sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
Atlantic sea nettle
(Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
Barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo)
Barrel jellyfish
(Rhizostoma pulmo)
Black sea nettle (Chrysaora achlyos)
Black sea nettle
(Chrysaora achlyos)
Blue jellyfish (Cyanea lamarckii)
Blue jellyfish
(Cyanea lamarckii)
Fried egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata)
Fried egg jellyfish
(Cotylorhiza tuberculata)
Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
Moon jellyfish
(Aurelia aurita)
Purple-striped jelly (Pelagia noctiluca)
Purple-striped jelly
(Pelagia noctiluca)
White spotted jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata)
White spotted jellyfish
(Phyllorhiza punctata)

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