Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is one of the biggest jellyfish in the world, and it gets its name from its long, flowing tentacles that look like a lion’s mane! These incredible creatures prefer to live in cold ocean waters and can grow tentacles up to 37 meters (120 feet) long—longer than a blue whale!
These jellyfish come in stunning colors, from bright orange and red to pale yellow. They move by pulsing their bell-shaped bodies, but they mostly drift with ocean currents. Their tentacles are packed with tiny stingers they use to catch food like fish and plankton. They’re not actually dangerous to humans, but their sting can cause a mild rash if you come into contact with one
Lion’s mane jellyfish are like floating mini-ecosystems. Tiny fish and even small crabs often hide among their tentacles for protection from predators. They’re a beautiful and fascinating part of the underwater world!
Did you know?
A lion’s mane jellyfish has eight groups of tentacles, and each group can have up to 1,200 tentacles!
They are bioluminescent, which means they can glow in the dark!
The largest lion’s mane jellyfish ever found had a bell over 2 meters wide.
They don’t have a brain, heart, or bones—they sense the world with nerve cells!