Fast Facts: Lion's Mane Jellyfish

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A mini sunset floating in an abyss devoid of light

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish : Cyanea capillata

Description: The Lion's Mane Jellyfish has a growing reputation as one of the largest animals in the world. With an average diameter of about seven meters, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish has eight clusters containing 150 tentacles each that reach lengths of 120 feet long! These hair-like tentacles allow the Lion's Mane Jellyfish to rival the size of Blue Whales, the largest creature to ever exist. Lion's Mane Jellyfish centers are colored a deep rose-red that fades into yellow around the edges, and its tentacles are usually red. However, these jellyfish come in a variety of colors, which seems to depend on size and age. Younger jellyfish are generally light tan, yellow, or pink with colorless tentacles. As they grow, these tentacles darken to a red-brown along with the rest of the body. 

Habitat: Found mostly in the Arctic, Northern Pacific, and Northern Atlantic oceans, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish thrives in frigid waters near the surface of open sea; they rarely venture below depths of 66 feet. However, these jellyfish are able to cover great distances of water—horizontally, of course. 

Diet: The diet of a Lion's Mane Jellyfish is largely made up of small crustaceans, fish larvae, small fish, and zooplankton. Clearly a carnivore, these giant jellyfish may even eat smaller jellyfish. 

Behavior: Utilizing its tentacles as both defense and paralyzers, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish easily captures prey with its powerful neurotoxins into its mouth, which is located on the underside of its bell-shaped body. Although most Lion's Mane Jellyfish are solitary, they occasionally gather into large groups during strong storms and tides. 

Lion's Mane Jellyfish have a lifespan of around one year, which is split into four phases. These include the larva, polyp. ephyrae, and finally the medusa stage; the final stage is when females become sexually mature. Here, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish will carry its eggs in its tentacles until they become larva and are free to swim on their own. 

Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern, some scientists believe that the Lion's Mane Jellyfish population is increasing. In the past decade, jellyfish sightings (in general) have been skyrocketing at beaches all over the world. These are called jellyfish blooms and are attributed to climate change warming water temperatures (note this has not been proven). Currently, the Lion's Mane Jellyfish is estimated to be in the millions. 

Unique Traits: Upon first glance, they seem to glow from the inside out; that's because they literally do. Lion's Mane Jellyfish are bioluminescent, meaning they can produce light in their own bodies. This source of light in what is otherwise darkness can attract prey, which the Lion's Mane Jellyfish then is able to feast on. 

https://mashable.com/archive/jellyfish-swarms-uk
https://www.thoughtco.com/lions-mane-jellyfish-2291828#:~:text=The%20color%20of%20the%20lion%27s%20mane%20jellyfish%20changes,18%20inches%2C%20they%20become%20a%20darker%20reddish%20brown
https://oceana.org/marine-life/lions-mane-jellyfish/
https://www.americanoceans.org/species/lions-mane-jellyfish/

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