Moon Jelly

Unlike most other marine creatures, and despite their stunning beauty and great variety, Moon Jellies are rarely given the attention they deserve. Now you can marvel at their graceful motion and ghost-like forms at SEA LIFE Aquarium.

Things to do

Become mesmerized by our Moon Jellies in the SEA LIFE Lab
Watch how they seem to change color in the light
Track their movement as they drift in our display's current


Scientific Name	Aurelia aurita
Home	Worldwide in Tropical and Temperate waters
Size	From 2-15 inches in diameter
Animal type	Invertebrates
Relatives	Portuguese man-of-war, hydromedusae, sea anemones and coral
Predators	Ocean sunfish, Sea turtles, shore birds, fish, and other jellies
Average life span in the wild	6 months
Conservation status	Not evaluated
Diet	Small plankton such as larval crabs, mollusks, fish eggs, and other jellies

Jellies are more than 95% water and have no heart, bones or brain
An average jellies measures less than 1 inch to over 12 inches across the bell, although some may reach 6 feet, and the tentacles of some can reach lengths greater than 90 feet
Jellies belong to a group that includes sea-anemones and corals
The scientific name for jellies is Coelenterata, meaning "hollow body cavity"
Jellies are more than likely the oldest multi-organ animal still in existence; they have been swimming in the world’s oceans for 500-700 million years
Jellies have sense organs to perceive smell, light and other animals
Moon jellies can survive in brackish water, but the bell of the animal will begin to look flattened
Moon jellies move by floating on the currents; however, they can move towards desired prey by pulsing their bell
Most prey is caught by getting entangled in the mucus layer around the jelly
Moon jellies can only produce a mild sting that is not considered dangerous to people
"Jelly" is now the common term Scientists used to refer to these creatures
Over 2000 jellies went into space on the shuttle Columbia. Scientists were studying the effects of weightlessness