Nausicaa

The brown jellyfish

méduse dorée Chrysaora fuscescens

Identity Card

LATIN NAME : Chrysaora fuscescens

FAMILY : Pelagiidae

PHYLUM : Cnidaria

CLASS : Scyphozoa

This large jellyfish displays golden tones. Every bit as spectacular as it is captivating, it inhabits the Pacific Ocean.

The brown jellyfish is a pelagic species, which means that it lives in the open water.

It is a carnivore and particularly voracious. Unlike other jellyfish which are microphagous, the brown jellyfish feeds on both zooplankton and pieces of fish and shrimp.

The bell of this jellyfish can reach a size of over 30 cm.

  • Distribution :

    It lives in the fresh waters of the North Pacific. It occurs from Siberia and Alaska to Mexico.

  • IUCN Status :

    Not evaluated

Seen in "Journey on the High Seas"

2 The living ocean

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Find out more about the Brown Jellyfish

Chrysaora are a source of type II collagen, which is used in particular to relieve arthritis or joint pains.

The name of the jellyfish belonging to the Chrysaora genus comes from Chrysaor, the son of Medusa in Greek mythology.

These jellyfish are captivating, but when they appear in a massive group, this is a sign of climate disturbance.

1500

This is the number of stinging cells (cnidocytes) on one millimetre of a tentacle of this jellyfish. Cnidocytes are used to paralyse prey.

Jellyfish reproduce sexually: the male and female gametes are produced by separate individuals. After fertilization has occurred between two individuals, small larvae known as planulae are born and deposited on the sea bed, where they become polyps. These polyps give birth to jellyfish through strobilation. This method of reproduction is characterised by vertical separation of parts which form small saucers and turn into jellyfish.

 

 

 

Credits for banner photo : © Powerofforever – iStock – 173256469.
Credits for thumbnail photo  : © Jarek Tuszynski – Licence CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia

 

Activities AT NAUSICAÁ

lion de mer de Nausicaa

Training of the sea lions

Our visitors’ favourite show

EVENTS AT NAUSICAA NOT TO BE MISSED!

Every day, there are events focused on Nausicaa’s main species. With training and feeding sessions and talks on life in Europe’s largest aquarium, your visit will be a rich and entertaining experience!
Learn about the life of fishes, hear some surprising stories and enjoy the antics of some amazing animals.

See the program

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