Moon jellyfish
Aurelia aurita
- Scientific name
- Aurelia aurita
- Group
- Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean, Temperate Atlantic / English Channel, Cold / polar waters
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
Its sting is barely noticeable to humans, and the four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through its translucent bell make it one of the easiest jellyfish to identify.
What defines this group — Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
Corals, anemones and jellyfish: the same simple animal, anchored to the bottom or drifting in open water.
- All armed with cnidocytes, harpoon cells that fire on contact.
- A body arranged in rays around a single opening, serving as both mouth and exit.
- Hard corals host algae in their tissue: it is their departure that causes bleaching.