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Jellyfish is the common name for many species of what
scientists refer to as cnidarians (pronounced with a silent
‘c’). The root of cnidaria is ‘nettle’ in Greek which refers
to the stinging tentacles of some species. There are two types
of cnidarians: the Hydrozoa and the Scyphozoa. The largest
scyphozoan in the North Pacific is the lion’s mane jelly.
Large specimens can exceed 2 m in diameter with 9 m long
tentacles. It is often abundant in coastal waters in late
summer. The tentacles can give a nasty sting so it is best to
leave this animal alone. Meat tenderizer is supposedly a good
antidote of stings. Stranded jellies look like blobs of
gelatinous mass on the beach but in the water they are
graceful creatures. The lion’s mane jelly is a pelagic species
is found from Mexico to Alaska. It eats plankton caught in the
mesh of trailing tentacles which are drawn up to the mouth
under the bell. Jellyfish are eaten by
sea turtles. The video shows how the animal moves in
water.
photo by Lenore
Caldwell, July 2008
West Porpoise Bay,
Sunshine Coast, BC
The caption
from the Coast Reporter Newspaper for Friday August 8,
2008, said:
WEST
PORPOISE BAY: Sierra Therrien from Chilliwack, visiting with
her grandmother on Sunday, July 20th, saw many large
jellyfish in West Porpoise Bay near the government dock.
This is by far the largest, measuring about 1.3 metres (four
feet) across. According to local biologist and photographer
Duane Sept (www.septphoto.com)
this is the Lion's Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata), the
largest species of jellyfish in the world. The bell (the
central area) normally grows to 50 cm (20 inches) in
diameter but can grow up to two metres (6.6 feet) across.
This bell is surrounded by hundreds of slender stinging
tentacles that can trail up to nine metres (30 feet) long.
This species should not be touched when it is alive or dead,
since the tentacles can produce a sting. If you do get
stung, try meat tenderizer on the affected area.
