JellyFish

R

RiverRay

Member
i was at my LPS and i came across a Upside Down Jellyfish. i tried looking up some info on them but didnt really get much. but before i buy i was just wondering if anyone would have some info on it? kinda tied up with work alot so only have night to look. get tired so ya... any info would be greatly appreciated on the Jelly :) thanks!

- River.
 
C

Curehead

Member
RiverRay said:
i was at my LPS and i came across a Upside Down Jellyfish. i tried looking up some info on them but didnt really get much. but before i buy i was just wondering if anyone would have some info on it? kinda tied up with work alot so only have night to look. get tired so ya... any info would be greatly appreciated on the Jelly :) thanks!

- River.
Click to expand...

Cassiopea is a genus of scyphozoan jellyfish very commonly found in shallow mangrove swamps, mudflats, and turtle grass flats in Florida and various other similar environments around the world, where it lives usually upside-down on the bottom. Where found, there may be numerous individuals with varying shades of white, blue, green and brown. They have a mild sting since they are primarily photosynthetic, but sensitive individuals may have a stronger reaction. The stinging cells are excreted in a mucus; swimming over these jellies (especially using swim fins) may cause transparent, essentially invisible, sheets of this mucus to be lifted up into the water column, where they are then encountered by unsuspecting swimmers. The stings, appearing in the form of a red rash-like skin irritation, are notorious for being extraordinarily itchy.
The Cassiopea jellyfish (one common species is Cassiopea andromeda) belongs to the Order Rhizostomeae and mostly lives in sandy areas and seagrass beds. The Cassiopea jellyfish is also called "Upside Down Jellyfish", because it lies on its back, so that the bell touches the ground. In this position it resembles a sea anemone. Sometimes this jellyfish is picked up by a crab (Dorippe frascone) and carried on its back. The crab uses the jellyfish to defend itself against possible predators.

YouTube - Cassiopeia xamachana - Upside Down Jellyfish
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Jellyfish do not do well in reef tanks. You can create species specific tanks with gentle flowing currents, but even then, jellyfish are not long lived in captivity (in most situations)
 
R

RiverRay

Member
than i guess this one wont do so well in my reef tank... that sucks... i always liked and wanted one. i guess i leave that to the oceans works lol
it was only 15$ so if it was short lived it wasnt like i was loosing much
 
DBrinson

DBrinson

Member
Mild sting? lol

Don't put your hand in the water!!!!

Seriously. I have a pretty good idea what those tiny little specks in suspension in that tank are.

I was on a 3rd grade class field trip in the Keys and my entire class was annhiliated by one of these. Two of them hospitalized overnight, everyone came back with massive welts. (Except for me, I was in the boat for "bad behavior", stayed too long with my snorkel under the water a few minutes before, and a chaperone thought I had drowned)

Granted, knowing what I know now about invert stings, it may be possible that a class full of kids who each have experience swimming in the Keys would have a stronger reaction to the stings than average people. Sting exposure probably makes one more vulnerable to stings from this creature, in the same way that handling anemones makes you more vulnerable to stings in a home aquarium.


Great video link by the way!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top