Crown jelly
Cephea cephea
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Open ocean
- Relatives
- Mediterranean jelly; Family: Cepheidae
- Diet
- Zooplankton; brine shrimp
- Range
- Indo-Pacific
- Size
- Diameter to 24 inches (60 cm)
Meet the crown jelly
The crown jelly is distinguished by their array of about 30 "spikes" emanating from the broad, circular bell. Eight stout mouth-arms and more than 100 long, tapering, and pointed appendages spring from this pinkish-purple jelly's central stomach.
Did you know?
Very few studies have been done on the crown jelly, so little is known about this species. In raising this jelly in captivity for display at the Aquarium, our aquarists found this species grows at an extremely fast rate—from just a few millimeters to the size of a dime in two to three weeks!
Conservation
Jelly populations naturally ebb and flow. Scientists are studying how human impacts like overfishing, pollution, and climate changes affect jelly populations.
Cool facts
- The exact purpose of the crown jelly's appendages is still unknown, although scientists speculate that they use them to capture food.
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