WHATSTHATFISH
Jellyfish & hydroids

Moon Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita

Also known as: Common Jelly, Common Jellyfish, Moon Jelly, Saucer Jelly, Saucer Jellyfish, Sea Jelly, White Jellyfish

Adult
@epic · Sydney Aquarium, Australia · June 20171 / 22
01

Overview

Found all over the world, sometimes in huge numbers, in both freshwater and sea water.
Diameter - 40cm

Jellyfish are 95% water.
They have no heart, brain, blood, or gills. The body of the Jellyfish is called a bell. They do have a mouth, tentacles and arms around their mouth. They use their arms around their mouth to help sense and find food that ends up inside their mouth.

In the winter they disintegrate, the offspring surviving as larvae attached to the bottom. By asexual reproduction they form stacks of platters, and these platters are released in the spring to start their pelagic life.
Their only predators are Bannerfish and Arrow Crabs.

02

How to identify

Body shape
jellytentacles

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Worldwide
  • Exact location · 4
  • Country only · 18
LIVES IN

Found all over the world, sometimes in huge numbers, in both freshwater and sea water.

04

Adult photos 22

05

Discussion 3

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

3 comments

  • ruby s· 20 May 2025

    what color are the moon jellyfish?

  • Keirah· 22 Oct 2018

    how much do moon jellyfish weigh?

  • fishx6Top Contributor· 9 Sept 2025

    They are actually transparent!

    Helpful
ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

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Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumCnidaria
  3. classScyphozoa
  4. orderSemaeostomeae
  5. familyUlmaridae
  6. genusAurelia
  7. speciesAurelia aurita (Linnaeus, 1758)

SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

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More in the family

Semaeostomeae