Moon Jelly

The Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia Aurita) is a species of the Ulmaridae family that is well known for its moon shaped bell. Aurelia, similar to other jellyfish, do not have the typical respiratory organs, such as gills, that some other marine species have. Moon Jellyfish also lack a circulatory system, meaning that they do not have a heart or blood vessels. Aurelia can also be characterized by their four horseshoe-shaped gonads that are located underneath their four stomachs and are a part of their reproductive system. Moon Jellyfish have short tentacles that are contrasted with their much longer oral arms that they utilize to digest their diet which includes larvae, zooplankton, and small fishes. Aurelia Aurita are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters often found in areas of upwelling, a marine phenomenon that brings cold nutrient rich water to the warm surface water. Moon Jellyfish are plentiful in the wild; however, they are part of the diet of Green Sea Turtles which often mistake marine debris for our gelatinous friend.