Photo: Ken PeiFlower

hat jellyfish

Jellyfish have always drawn gasps at their beauty - and at times their venom which range from
mild, to enough to kill a man. Found in every ocean and in some freshwater lakes and rivers, the
jellyfish is one of the wonders of marine life. Join me as we look at 14 of the most beautiful!
14. Cannonball Jellyfish Photo:
DockWatch / Dauphin Island Sea Lab

The Cannonball jellyfish lives along the coast from the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. all the way
down to Brazil, named obviously for its shape. One interesting little twist is how it sexually
reproduces. It can reproduce asexually but when it does not, it shoots sperm from its mouth to be
caught in the mouth of the receiving jellyfish.
13. Flower Hat Jellyfish

Photo: Fred Hsu

These curious creatures really do look like spring bonnets made to wear. They are a rare species
found off the coast of Brazil, Argentina and Japan. Its tentacles coil up and stick to the rim when
they aren't using them, giving rise to the bonnet look.

12. Portuguese Man o'War

Photo: Lingaraj, G.J.

A magnificent creature that is so commonly considered a jellyfish I include it here but is actually
"a siphonophore, which differ from jellyfish in that they are not actually a single creature, but a
colonial organism made up of many minute individuals called zooids" (according to Wikipedia).
It has a gas bladder and swims on top of the waves letting the wind and current take it, while the
tentacles can hang down 66 feet below.

11. Purple Striped Jellyfish

Photo: sanjay acharya

A species found around Monterey Bay, not a lot is known about their habits. Most individuals
have four frilly oral arms and eight marginal arms. As they vary with age different numbers may
be seen. It is a striking jelly with its bands of purple around its bell. A symbiotic crab often lives
with it to feed on the parasitic amphipods that live on and damage jellies.
10. Mediterranean or Fried Egg Jellyfish

Photo: T Friedrich

This is a really strange but beautiful creature, which looks like a fried or poached egg and lives
in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean seas. It is also one of the few jellies that can locomote
on its own, not just relying on current.
9. Darth Vader or the Narcomedusae

Photo: Kevin Raskoff,

California State University, Monterey Bay/NOAA

Found in the Arctic, this is a fairly new discovered species with 4 tentacles and 12 stomach
pouches. It swims holding out its poisoned tentacles in front, better to ambush prey.
8. Blue Jellyfish

Photo: Malene Thyssen

The blue jellyfish or Cyanea lamarckii is stunning in its color and has stinging tentacles. Found
off the coast of Scotland, the North Sea and the Irish Sea, they average 15 cm across and look
like bright blue pom poms.

7. Crossota sp

Photo: Kevin Raskoff,

California State University, Monterey Bay/NOAA

A gorgeous red medusa that was found in the arctic just off the sea floor during the Hidden
Ocean, Arctic 2005 exploration with the NOAA.
6. Porpita Porpita

Photo: Islands in the

Stream 2002 Exploration, NOAA-OE.

Not quite a jellyfish, this gorgeous creature is commonly known as the Blue Button. It lives on
the surface of the ocean and consists of two parts, the hard golden brown float and the hydroid
colonies that resemble jellyfish tentacles. It does belong to the same phyllum as jellyfish and is
often mistaken for one.
5. Atolla Wyvillei

Photo: Edith A. Widder,

Operation Deep Scope 2005 Exploration, NOAA-OE

A deep see dwelling jellyfish, this specimen was photographed under white light during
Operation Deep Scope 2005 Exploration, NOAA-OE. Truly a beauty!

4. Diplulmaris Antarctica

Photo: Steve Clabuesch,

National Science Foundation
This gorgeous creature is found in deep waters of Antarctica and has four orange frilled arms as
well as white tentacles. The little white dots on the bell of the jellyfish are teeny amphipods that
live off jellyfish, sometimes eating it but not in this case.

3. Black Sea Nettle

Photo: Jim G

The black sea nettle is a giant jellyfish with a bell as big as 3 feet across and oral arms as long as
20 feet. They are found in Pacific Ocean waters and are carnivorous, eating larvae, plankton and
even other jellyfish.
2. White Spotted Jellyfish

Photo: Nick Hobgood

Also called the Australian Spotted Jellyfish, these are native to the Pacific Southwest waters.
Fairly large they generally consume snail species but they have become a concern in some areas
because of the huge amount of water they filter, digesting plankton that some food fish and other
fish need.

1. Breede River Jellyfish

Photo: Damien du Toit

An astonishing beauty, this is one of the freshwater hydromedusas and appears in large numbers
during summer in the Breede river in Africa. Very little is known about them as they disappears
later in the year and have not been given a species name yet. Their mystical white beauty, with
golden pedestals make them the winner in this list.

There are more famous jellies, and larger ones like the Lion's Mane, but out of all the ones I have
seen, these 14 stood out for their beauty. Some ethereal such as the narcomedusa and diplomaris,
some more tangible and brash. One thing's for certain - man's fascination with them won't
disappear soon.