
10 Different Types of Jellyfish
- 1. Crystal Jellyfish Coming in at number one is the Crystal jellyfish. Located in the waters around North America’s coast, this jellyfish species is actually completely colorless, hence its name! ...
- 2. Bloodybelly Comb Jellyfish ...
- 3. Cauliflower Jellyfish ...
- 4. White-spotted Jellyfish ...
- 5. Black Sea Nettle Jellyfish ...
- 6. Fried Egg Jellyfish ...
- 7. Flower Hat Jellyfish ...
- 8. Atolla Jellyfish ...
Full Answer
How to identify different kinds of jellyfish?
Jellyfish Sightings. "Jellyfish," or more properly gelatinous zooplankton, can be distinguished from one another by their shape, size, color, and other bodily features, as well as by where and when they typically occur. Here's a quick guide to help you identify the jellies you're likely to encounter in Chesapeake Bay and mid-Atlantic waters.
How many different species of jellyfish are there?
There are over 200 species of Jellyfish in the category of ‘True Jellyfish’ or 'Cnidarians' to biologists. This is a large category and does include close relatives of Jellyfish, however. But scientists believe that there are 2000 individual species of Jellyfish known to man, with the potential for up to 300,000 different species to actually exist.
What is the difference between starfish and jellyfish?
The main difference between Jellyfish and Starfish is that Jellyfish falls under Phylum Coelenterata (lower invertebrates), and Starfish falls under Phylum Echinodermata (higher invertebrates). Jellyfishes have tissue level of body organization whereas, Starfishes have very simple organ system level of body organization. Well!
How deadly is a jellyfish?
The World's 6 Most Dangerous Jellyfish
- Irukandji jellyfish. Scuba divers and snorkelers are perhaps the most cautious about irukandji jellyfish as they are the most venomous of their kind.
- Box jellyfish. Several species of the box jellyfish have been identified as having lethal venom. ...
- Sea Nettle. ...
- Moon jellyfish. ...
- Cannonball jellyfish. ...
- Lion's Mane jellyfish. ...

What is the top 10 deadliest jellyfish?
Here is our list of 10 deadliest jellyfishes in the worldChironex Fleckeri (sub-species of box jellyfish)Chiropsalmus Quadrigatus.Irukandji Jellyfish.Portuguese Man o' War.Lion's Mane Jellyfish.Morbakka Fenneri.Cannonball Jellyfish.Moon Jellyfish.More items...•
What are the main types of jellyfish?
There are four classes of jellyfish: scyphozoa, cubozoa, hydrozoa, and staurozoa. There are over 200 species of scyphozoa or 'true jellyfish', which live in all the world's oceans. Some are deep-sea jellyfish, but most scyphozoa live near coastal waters.
What is the most popular jellyfish?
the moon jellyThe Aurelia Aurita, known as the moon jelly, is the most common and widely recognized jellyfish species. Though it has venom, it is harmless to humans—it's even a popular dish in China!
What is the rarest type of jellyfish?
box jellyIt's called Chirodectes maculatus (from the Latin for “spotted”), and it's an extremely uncommon species of box jelly found off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Box jellies, distinguished for their boxy shape, are often venomous to humans—some are even potentially fatal.
What is the 2nd deadliest jellyfish?
2. Box jellyfish Some species of the box jellyfish have been blamed for human deaths while other species have no effect on humans.
What are the top 5 most venomous jellyfish?
Here is an additional list of the five most deadly jellyfish in the world.Sea Nettle. The sea nettle jellyfish are among the venomous jellyfish found on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. ... Lion's Mane Jellyfish. ... Cannonball Jellyfish. ... Irukandji jellyfish. ... Moon jellyfish.
What is the scariest jellyfish?
Box jellyfish are the most toxic of all jellyfish and are regarded as one of the most dangerous species on Earth. Their tentacles extend up to 10 feet, and their venom causes so much pain that humans that have been stung risk going into shock and drowning or dying of heart failure.
What's the cutest jellyfish?
10 Most Beautiful Jellyfish In The WorldBlack sea nettle (Chrysaora achlyos) ... Lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) ... White Spotted Jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata) ... Purple Striped Jelly (Chrysaora colorata) ... Cannonball Jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) ... Jelly Blubber (Catostylus mosaicus) ... Diplulmaris Antarctica.More items...•
Which jellyfish kills most people?
Box JellyfishVenom. Their venom is considered to be among the most deadly in the world, containing toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. ... Range and Appearance. ... Tentacles. ... Highly-Advanced Adaptations.
Do rainbow jellyfish exist?
The rainbow jellyfish was discovered in March of 2009. Its discoverer, Lisa Gershwin, is a jellyfish expert. She made the find near the island of Tasmania. It is the 159th species that Gershwin has discovered near Australia.
Are purple jellyfish real?
The purple jellyfish, also known as the mauve stinger, is a beautiful jellyfish with long tentacles and oral arms. Identification: The purple jellyfish is a small jellyfish whose bell grows to about 2 inches across. They have a purplish translucent bell that is dotted with red and long oral arms that trail behind them.
Is there a rainbow jellyfish?
Lovely lobed combed jellyfish is one of the most beautiful creatures in the sea. This iridescent rainbow jellyfish looks like the coolest nightlight ever. Known as the lobed comb jelly, its natural habitat is typically the open waters, but a few reside at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
How many types of jellyfish are there?
There are more than 2,000 types of jellyfish that are known about, but scientists think that there literally thousands more that have yet to be dis...
What is the most common jellyfish?
The most common and widely recognized jellyfish is probably the Moon Jellyfish also known as the Common jellyfish and although it does have venom i...
What other interesting species of jellyfish exist?
There are so many interesting species of jellyfish that exist, the biggest is the Lion Mane jellyfish that you may find along the coast in the summ...
What is the most deadly jellyfish?
By far the most deadly jellyfish is the Box jellyfish, specifically the Australian Box jellyfish. They are armed with tiny arrows that are full of...
How many types of jellyfish are there?
There are more than 2,000 types of jellyfish that are known about, but scientists think that there literally thousands more that have yet to be discovered in the deep ocean water. Only about 70 of the known jellies are actually harmful to humans.
What is the most common jellyfish?
The most common and widely recognized jellyfish is probably the Moon Jellyfish also known as the Common jellyfish and although it does have venom it is harmless to humans. The most a Moon jellyfish sting will do is give a very mild stinging sensation, but that is rare.
What other interesting species of jellyfish exist?
There are so many interesting species of jellyfish that exist, the biggest is the Lion Mane jellyfish that you may find along the coast in the summer season. The Lion Mane jellyfish is also a dangerous species that you should avoid at all costs when in the coastal water. They can grow up to 2 meters wide with tentacles that are divided into eight clusters and have 150 long sting covered tentacles.
What color is the Bloodybelly comb?
Despite a reputation of potentially being a “showoff”, the red color that the Bloodybelly Comb jellies turn actually makes it nearly invisible when in deep water, which is where they are normally found.
Why do jellyfish hang around the ocean floor?
They tend to mostly hang about near the ocean floor among the seagrass rather than pulsing their way through the open ocean. For these stinging jellyfish, the seagrass is better for them in order to catch the small fish which they prey on.
How many jellyfish are there in the ocean?
Currently, around 2000 jellyfish types have been documented, but scientists estimate that there could still be over 300,000 species yet to be discovered. That’s a lot of jellies…
Why do green mice glow green?
Scientists have created ‘green mice’ that glow green when hit by blue light by inserting the GFP gene from the crystal jelly into the mice. The glowing protein is a widely used biological highlighter that helps scientists find and study genes more quickly.”
How do jellyfish sting?
Jellyfish sting their prey using tentacles that have specialized cells known as cnidocytes. Contact with a jellyfish tentacle can trigger millions of cnidocytes to pierce the skin and inject venom. However, only the venom of few species cause an adverse reaction in humans.
What is the largest jellyfish?
Lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish. They are distinguished by a saucer-like shape on the top and tentacles hanging below as thick as a lion’s mane. Found in the freezing waters of the Arctic ocean and the Northern Pacific Ocean, they are known to survive in the coldest weather conditions. The largest recorded specimen was about 8 feet in diameter and about 150 feet long. Even though their stings are not known to be fatal, it can lead to temporary pain and redness in the area of contact.
How long do jellyfish live?
Their lifespan can vary from as little as a few days to about a year. Jellyfish sting their prey using tentacles that have specialized cells known as cnidocytes.
What is the name of the jellyfish that glows in the dark?
Mauve Stinger (Pelagia Noctiluca) This species of jellyfish has an ability to glow in the dark. In Latin, nocti means night and luca stands for light. Roughly the size of a golf ball, these are known to survive in warm and temperate waters of Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
What phylum are jellyfish in?
Jellyfish are non-polyp form of creatures of the phylum Cnidaria. It consist of 4 major classes, namely Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Staurozoa. These classes are further divided into orders, which is further divided into families. Each of these families contain different types of jellyfish of various genus, and these genus contain different ...
Why do jellyfish have venom?
Jellyfish use their venom to stun their prey, so that it doesn’t struggle and damage its delicate tentacles. Jellyfish don’t have a brain, heart, bones, or eyes. They have an incomplete digestive system, meaning that they use the same opening for food intake and discarding waste.
How many times have moon jellyfish been sighted?
The most popular species being Moon jellyfish. The family also has rare species like Stygiomedusa gigantea. This rare creature has only been sighted 114 times in the last 110 years and is believed to be one of the largest invertebrate predators in the deep-sea ecosystem.
How Many Species of Jellyfish Are There?
It’s hard to say exactly how many different species of jellyfish exist on Earth today. Scientists estimate that there could be as many as 10 million different varieties of jellyfish worldwide! Some scientists believe that we may never know just how many species of jellyfish actually exist. It would take years of research to study every single kind of jellyfish known to science.
How to Avoid Being Stung By Jellyfish?
If you find yourself swimming through waters infested with jellyfish, here’s what you need to know about avoiding being attacked by them.
How do jellyfish release their contents?
These capsules release their contents when triggered by contact with another animal. When a jellyfish touches its victim, the tentacles pierce the skin and inject the nematocysts directly into the bloodstream. Once inside the blood stream, the nematocysts dissolve and cause pain and inflammation.
What are the different types of jellyfish?
There are two main types of jellyfish: box jellies and sea nettles or Portuguese man-of-war stings . Box jellyfish look like large transparent boxes with tentacles sticking out of each side. Sea nettle stingers resemble small balloons filled with water. Both kinds of jellyfish contain venomous nematocysts which inject poison into their prey when touched by one of these creatures. The only way to avoid being stung by either type of jellyfish is not to touch it. If you do get stung, wash your skin immediately with soap and warm water. Do NOT rub the area because this will spread the poison further through your body. You should also seek medical attention if you feel ill after getting stung.
Why is it important not to panic when you get stung by a nematocyst?
If you get stung by one of these creatures, it is important not to panic because your body will automatically try to neutralize the poison before any symptoms appear. In fact, if you do experience severe allergic reactions, this means that your immune system was able to successfully fight back against the toxin.
What are jellyfish stingers made of?
The stingers found on most jellyfish are made out of two parts – an outer sheath which houses the venom sac and inner tube-like structure. These structures contain nematocysts, microscopic tubules filled with powerful chemicals that deliver painful stings.
What does the nematocyst capsule do to jellyfish?
In addition, the nematocyst capsule releases toxins that paralyze muscles so the jellyfish can feed off its meal without having to move away.
What is the name of the jellyfish that Frank Zappa named after?
9. Phialella Zappai. What might interest you most about this jellyfish is its name. If you can’t tell from just looking at the name, it is named after musician Frank Zappa. That’s because the scientist who discovered this type of jellyfish among the many different jellyfish out there in the world was a Zappa fan. He reportedly wrote to Zappa to let him know he was naming a jellyfish after him and ended up meeting him in person as a result.
What is the name of the jellyfish that has a pink flower hat?
This jellyfish is named because of the way that it looks like it has a neon pink flower hat atop its head (although it’s official name is Olindias Formosa). It’s a stunner. In addition to pink it has purple and orange hues that are eye-catching. It is found in the waters of Brazil and Argentina although it has also been spotted in Japanese waters. It is a fairly small jellyfish at just about six inches across but it’s definitely one worth looking for if you ever get an opportunity!
How big can a jellyfish get?
Can you imagine swimming up to a Jellyfish that was even bigger than you are? They do exist even though they sound like something out of a horror movie. They’re called Normuras and they can be as big as 100 feet in length and more than six feet in diameter. If you were able to pick one of these jellyfish up you’d be holding something as heavy as 450 pounds! They exist primarily off of the coast of Japan.
How many different types of jellyfish are there?
You certainly know what a jellyfish is. But did you know that there are different types of jellyfish? In fact, there are more than 2000 different species of jellyfish according to Smithsonian Magazine. Here are ten different ones that just might fascinate you if you look closely!
What jellyfish are you scared of?
2. Australian Box Jellyfish. You may have heard somewhere that jellyfish are dangerous. That’s true but none are as dangerous as the Australian Box Jellyfish. Also called a Sea Wasp, this jellyfish is frightening in appearance when you finally see it but it’s tough to see since it’s almost completely transparent. When you do see them, you might think that you’re looking at a mutant of some kind since they have multiple eyeballs on their stomachs. Creepy! They tend to be cube-shaped instead of dome-shaped so if you see something like that in the water then you might want to get away!
What is the strangest jellyfish?
4. Costa Rican Jellyfish. These just might be the strangest jellyfish that you’ve never seen. They live in a part of the waters of Costa Rica that are ridiculously hot (more than six hundred degrees in temperature) at a depth of more than 8000 feet below the water’s surface. Unlike other jellyfish, these jellyfish are a dark pink color. Their official name is Stauromedusae, which makes you think of serpent-haired Medusa, an apt description of the creepiness of these creatures!
Is rhopilema esculentum edible?
10. Rhopilema Esculentum. That’s a mouthful to say, isn’t it? It’s also a mouthful of jellyfish because this type of jellyfish is known for being edible. They are cultured in China and go into various dishes there. What is interesting is that the stings from these jellyfish can be harmful to humans even though it is safe to ingest them.
