Asian moon jelly
Aurelia coerulea
Mauve Stinger
Pelagia noctiluca
About
This small jellyfish drifts in the open ocean, and its sting can last for days. It grows to only about 9 cm across, but it causes far more trouble than its size suggests.
Also known as: pink jellyfish, night-light jellyfish, purple people eater, purple stinger, luminous jellyfish
- Length
- 9 cm
- Depth
- up to 1600 m
Appearance
This jellyfish is small, and its colour can vary, often shades of purple or mauve. Most jellyfish only sting with their tentacles. This one is different: stinging cells cover the whole bell too, so even the top of the animal can sting.
Behaviour
This species drifts in the open sea its whole life. Unlike most other jellyfish, it never settles down as a polyp on the seabed. It can make short flashes of light. Waves or a passing boat stir it up, and the glow fades fast after each flash. It sometimes gathers in large swarms. When these wash up on beaches or clog fishing nets, they can hurt local tourism and fishing. Even a dead jellyfish washed up on shore can still sting.
Diet
This jellyfish is not a fussy eater. It eats many kinds of small drifting prey, including tiny crustaceans, young molluscs and fish, and fish eggs. It also eats other jellylike animals. Unusually for a jellyfish, it can feed directly on phytoplankton, the tiny algae that drift in the water. Adult jellyfish will even eat their own young.
Did you know?
A seven-arm octopus has been seen grabbing one of these jellyfish and holding it out like a weapon, using its sting for its own defence.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
