Compass jellyfish | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Scyphozoa |
Order: | Semaeostomeae |
Family: | Pelagiidae |
Genus: | Chrysaora |
Species: | C. hysoscella |
Binomial name | |
Chrysaora hysoscella (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Chrysaora hysoscella, also known as the compass jellyfish, is a very common species of jellyfish that lives in coastal waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, including near the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey. It is also known from the southern Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of South Africa and False BayIt has a diameter of up to 30 cm. Its 24 tentacles are arranged in eight groups of three. It is usually colored yellowish white, with some brown. It usually has 16 markings on the bell resembling elongated v's, surrounding a central brown spot. Its mouth is located at the bottom center of the bell, between 4 larger tentacles. They are known to sting.
It is usually found relatively close to shore. They inhabit these waters mostly at the top of the water column, and although the inhabit shallow water, they move up and down in the water column often ranging from surface waters to just above the seabed.