How to Identify a Sea Nettle Jellyfish
Sea nettle jellyfish, Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Chrysaora fuscescens, live throughout the seas of North America, where they can be particularly abundant. Because sea nettle jellyfish can cause harm to humans via stinging, it is important to know how to identify a sea nettle jellyfish prior to swimming along the coasts of North America.
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Instructions
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Look for sea nettle jellyfish in their preferred habitat and range along the coasts of North America from British Columbia south to Mexico along the Pacific coast and from Massachusetts south along the Atlantic coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Sea nettles also live in the Caribbean, prefer low salinity water and you can often find them living near the coastlines.
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Estimate the size of a sea nettle jellyfish. The bell or body of a typical sea nettle jellyfish will range from 6 to 8 inches across. However, the bells of some larger sea nettle jellyfish in the Pacific Ocean can range upwards of three feet across. The tentacles of the sea nettle jellyfish can have a length of up to 6 feet.
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Observe the appearance of a sea nettle jellyfish. The bells of most sea nettle jellyfish have a whitish appearance. Some describe this color as resembling milk. Some of the sea nettle jellyfish along the Pacific coast may have golden colored bells as well. The tentacles can have reddish or brownish pigments in them, and the four oral arms of the jellyfish have a white color.
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Know about the behaviors of sea nettle jellyfish. Sea nettle jellyfish mate during the summer, so you can most likely see these jellyfish during the late summer months. Sea nettle jellyfish are also very good swimmers, and they swim continuously. You may see a sea nettle jellyfish catch its prey using its tentacles as well. Sea nettle jellyfish can swim in large groups, so be on the lookout for a large grouping of this particular type of jellyfish.
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Tips & Warnings
The Chesapeake Bay in Maryland has a high concentration of sea nettle jellyfish.
Sea nettle jellyfish will sting. Take extreme caution when near any sea nettles and avoid swimming in areas currently inhabited by large sea nettle populations.
