Lion's mane jellyfish

Cyanea capillata

Size: Bell diameter 0.3–2 m
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Cathemeral
Sociality: Solitary
Lifespan: —

The lion's mane jellyfish is a large cold-water jellyfish whose trailing tentacles resemble a mane. It is a drifting predator of plankton and small fishes.

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Key facts

Lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is a carnivore animal classified as Invertebrate · Semaeostomeae · Cyaneidae.
Primary habitats are open ocean · coast · polar, with a range across Arctic Ocean · Atlantic Ocean · Pacific Ocean.
Activity is cathemeral, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is DD (Data Deficient).
The lion's mane jellyfish is a large cold-water jellyfish whose trailing tentacles resemble a mane.
It inhabits cold coastal and open waters of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic region.

Range

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It inhabits cold coastal and open waters of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic region. Blooms may be conspicuous near shore from summer into autumn.

Appearance

The bell is commonly tens of centimetres wide and can approach 2 m in very large individuals. The reddish to orange bell carries many long, fine tentacles.

Behavior

It drifts with currents and moves slowly by pulsing the bell. Individuals may appear alone or gather where food is concentrated.

Feeding

Zooplankton, small fishes and other jellyfish are caught with stinging cells. The long tentacles sweep a wide area and pass prey toward the bell.

Reproduction

Adults release eggs and sperm, and larvae settle as polyps on the seafloor. Polyps then release young jellyfish that grow in the plankton.

Notes

Stings can be painful, though most are not severe. The species is one of the iconic giant jellyfish of northern seas.