The name moon jellyfish can refer to both a specific species Aurelia aurita but can also refer to the group of jellyfish to which all Moon Jelly fish belong to. New species of Moon jelly fish are found on a regular basis.
Moon Jellyfish are found in the entire Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic to Mexico and in the on the northern hemisphere part of the Pacific Ocean. They can grow to a size of up to 18 inches / 45 cm in diameter. Moon jelly fish are the most common type of jelly fish in the Atlantic ocean.
The feed on microscopic planktonic organisms which they catch with the help of about 250 sticky tentacles that hangs from the underside of their disc. The food is the carried by the moon jellyfish 4 oral arms to their mouth where it is consumed. Their disc that looks like an umbrella is divided into eight equally large parts. Another distinct feature of moon jellyfish is that you can se four purple horseshoes like shapes on their disc if you look at them from above. Their tentacles become pink during second part of the summer/fall. This usually happen in August or September and is a result of their reproduction and the larvae that is developing on their underside at this time of the year.
Moon jelly fish are primarily seen in the summer time when the currents carry them close to the beaches and often wash them ashore. Moon jelly fish in the water is not a problem if you want to bath and moon jellyfish can normally be handled without being stung. Sensitive people can however experience that they causes a small burning sensation. This sensation does however not last long and as earlier mentioned only a few people experience this discomfort due to sting from moon jellyfish.
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