28 — Jellies, Cyanea annaskala

Jelly under Ngapipi Bridge, 20/9/16.

Jelly under Ngapipi Bridge, 20/9/16.

Jelly under Ngapipi Bridge, 20/9/16.

Here's the thing, they're not fish, so we marine biologists don't call them jellyfish anymore, we call them jellies. One of the signs that spring is near is the presence of baby jellies in coastal waters. These ones were being swept into Hobson Bay via Ngapipi Bridge. They're actually quite small, being about 50 mm in bell-diameter.

Here's the thing, they're not fish, so we marine biologists don't call them jellyfish anymore, we call them jellies.

I'll happily admit that I'm not expert enough to tell which species these are, but I'm going to try anyway. I think these are juvenile Cyanea annaskala, Lendenfeld 1882. This species of jelly is cosmopolitan (found everywhere), and is also known as the Lion's Mane. Incidentally, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a Sherlock Holmes story called The Adventure of the Lion's Mane










More info:

A video clip
http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/species/8682

http://portphillipmarinelife.net.au/Species/_Species/7761