Aurelia aurita
| Aurelia aurita | |
|---|---|
_Luc_Viatour.jpg)
| |
| Aurelia aurita in the Pairi Daiza aquarium, Belgium | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Scyphozoa |
| Order: | Semaeostomeae |
| Family: | Ulmaridae |
| Genus: | Aurelia |
| Species: | A. aurita
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aurelia aurita | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Aurelia aurita (also called the common jellyfish, moon jellyfish, moon jelly or saucer jelly) is a species of true jellyfish in the family Ulmaridae and the type species of its genus, Aurelia.[1][2][3] It is found in the north Atlantic and in Argentina, and is not dangerous to humans.
Description
Like other species in the genus, the jellyfish is almost entirely translucent, usually about 25–40 cm (10–16 in) in diameter, and can be recognized by its four horseshoe-shaped gonads, easily seen through the top of the bell.
It feeds by collecting medusae, plankton, and mollusks with its short, fine tentacles, and bringing them into its body for digestion. The sting has a mild effect on humans, with most having little or no reaction.[4] It is capable of only limited motion, and drifts with the current, even when swimming.
Range
A. aurita is endemic to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Baltic Sea where the 1758 type specimen was collected.[5] Established populations are also found in the Northeastern United States and Argentina, where they were introduced (although natural dispersion to the United States can't be ruled out).[5] A single specimen has also been found in the Pacific Northwest.[5]
Taxonomic confusion
Most species in the genus are very similar, and it is difficult to determine the species of Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling.[5] In the 1990s, only two species were recognized in the genus, including A. aurita, and the species was considered to have a worldwide distribution.[5] In the 2020s, reexamination of morphology and analysis of genetic samples revealed that specimens previously identified as A. aurita belong to at least 28 different species.[5] Much of the research published about the species before this split may instead describe one or more related species.
References
- ^ a b "Aurelia aurita (Linnaeus, 1758)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ Dawson, Michael N. "Aurelia species". Archived from the original on 2018-03-25. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- ^ "Aurelia | INFORMATION". animaldiversity.org. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Moon Jelly | Learn With the South Carolina Aquarium". South Carolina Aquarium. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ a b c d e f Lawley, Jonathan W.; Gamero-Mora, Edgar; Maronna, Maximiliano M.; Chiaverano, Luciano M.; Stampar, Sérgio N.; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Collins, Allen G.; Morandini, André C. (2021-09-09). "The importance of molecular characters when morphological variability hinders diagnosability: systematics of the moon jellyfish genus Aurelia (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)". PeerJ. 9 e11954. doi:10.7717/peerj.11954. PMC 8435205. PMID 34589293.
Further reading
- Moen, F.E.; E. Svensen (2004). Marine fish & invertebrates of Northern Europe. Southend-on-Sea: AquaPress. ISBN 978-0-9544060-2-8.
External links
Media related to Aurelia aurita at Wikimedia Commons- Photos of Aurelia aurita in the Sealife Collection
| National | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
