Moon Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita

This jellyfish floats at the ocean surface and is the jelly most commonly washed up on beaches during high tide or after a storm. Jellyfish feed on marine life that gets caught up in their poison-containing tentacles.

Look For : A whitish, translucent, saucer-shaped jellyfish. Many short, fringe-like tentacles. 4 round or horseshoe-shaped structures near center of saucer are yellow, pink, or bluish in adult.

Length : Saucer up to 16" wide.

Habitat : Surface of ocean, large harbors.

Range : Arctic to Florida and Mexico; Alaska to southern California.